Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers
by AquilisRose
Summary: Nicole Stevens, the American witch, is having problems again.
1. Chapter One

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (01)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: debandmercer@aol.com mailto:debandmercer@aol.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Draco Harry Blood Squee  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust  
Summary: Nicole Stevens, sixth year American student at Hogwarts, is not enjoying her summer. However, when her boyfriend, Harry Potter, comes to visit, Nicole is in for the time of her life, or so she wishes... Nicole is again faced with teenage dilemmas, Draco, Voldemort, Draco, school, Draco, Trelawney, oh, and did I mention DRACO!? How she deals with these crisises is up to her...or is it?  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Any spells in *...* belong to Patricia C. Wrede's book Calling on Dragons, and Searching for Dragons, etc. I have no claim for/to them.  
Author notes: Ookies, squee, smily, thanks to everyone! Thanks to the Mods for their wonderful uploading skills! Thanks to Trillian Black, my wonderful Beta/Brit-picker. Thanks to Kim, Rachel, and Jessie, all of whom have been an inspiration. Anyone who sees a fic with Nicky in it that's not by AquilisRose, I want to tell   
you that I did NOT write that fic and that I allowed someone else to use my darling Nicky. Thanks to Laura, who has my birthday, and is my bestest!friend and who will play SOMEONE'S Bestest Friend (I know bestest isn't a word, I feel like being cutesy.) So, plz read on and feel free to email me with corrections, plot ideas, comments, and of course I would like PRAISE!!! No flames are to be shot in my threads, not at me, not at anyone. Thank you. Also, I am beta-ing many fics, which have nearly come to a stand-still, but I still shall be able to write. Thankies to everyone who helped, and to Ashley, who may be mad at me, but I'm still her friend. Thanks to Kara, as well, whom I have sent this chapter to early. Thank you all.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers  
AquilisRose  
Chapter One: Harry Potter and Early Arrivals  
This had been one of the most uneventful summers ever. Well, compared to what had happened last Christmas, a boring summer was considerably better. I had thought that a quiet break would be nice, but I was starting to rethink that theory.  
I really had believed for some time that the quiet life was the life for me. I had enjoyed sitting at my two-story house in England, doing absolutely nothing. Sure, I would occasionally do a bit of homework, because Hogwarts seemed to be fond of giving homework over the summer. The summer was halfway over, and I was bored to tears. No homework needed doing, no essay needed writing, and no fun was to be had.  
My parents had done their best to comfort me. They had said that if I was really so bored as all that, then I could go practice Quidditch. There was a problem with this suggestion however, Quidditch made me think of Harry Potter, my boyfriend. I had moped around for a considerable time, sad that I could not be with Harry. My parents then had concocted a new plan; I could go stay with some friends. My friends, however, were unable to invite me to their homes, because they lived in America.  
As a last resort, my mother had invited my Aunt Celia, along with my cousins Shawn and Ria, to stay. Yet, there was a flaw in THIS plan, as well; I hated Shawn and Ria with a passion. They were egotistical snobs, who treated me like a mere passer-by. Well, that was usually how they treated me, unless Shawn was enjoying a good game of 'Let's See How Fast Nicole Can Run'.  
But, back to the present day...  
"But, Mom, why do they need to come? Why do they even want to? I mean, I know Celia's your sister and all, but--all of them?! Even Shawn? I can stand to be around Ria, because she ignores me. But, Shawn...Shawn is just mean," I said loudly.  
"Nicky, dear, be sensible. They're your cousins. They love you. And call Celia 'Aunt'. She likes to be called that," Lydia Stevens replied. "While I understand that Shawn is not your favorite cousin, he is coming along with his sister and mother. Now, you will be kind to them, or I'll ban you from," she paused, thinking, "I'll take away your Firebolt, and you won't be able to fly."  
"Go ahead and TAKE the stupid thing! I don't care! It's been months since I've flown, and I don't intend to start now. So there!" I stuck out my tongue as I turned and stormed out of the kitchen.  
I stomped down the hall, throwing open the door of my bedroom. My room had been redecorated since last summer. Because I was so fond of books, my father had given me most of his private library to keep in my room. I had shelves upon shelves of alphabetically ordered books. My bedspread was red and gold silk, with gorgeous embroidered patterns. It had silken sheets that were crimson and gold. On top of the large blanket, was a matching pillow from India. It was beautiful, not doubt, but right now I was too upset to notice the pretty, Indian patterns on the bedspread.  
I threw myself down on the bed, grabbing the Indian pillow and holding it to my face. I inhaled its cinnamon scent, before screaming loudly into it. The pillow muffled my frustrated yells, as I had known it would. This was what I usually did when I was angry or upset. As I got my first bout of screaming out of my system, I heard a sharp tapping at my window. I stood up dispiritedly, but once I saw the large snowy owl fluttering outside my window, I brightened considerably. Wasting no time in walking, I dashed over to the window seat and unlatched the lock on the window.  
Hedwig, Harry's owl, soared in and landed on my shoulder, her foot outstretched. I untied the letter from her leg, and sat heavily on the window seat's soft plush, golden cushion. The snowy owl flew down from my shoulder, to perch on my jean-covered knee.  
I quickly opened the letter and read silently:  
Nicky,  
I got your last letter. You say your aunt and cousins are coming? I hope they're nicer than mine-- ("They're not," I said into the silence before reading on.) Dudley and Piers Polkiss are horrible. Piers has been over almost everyday, and they've been playing 'Harry Hunting'. It's one of the worst games I could imagine. At least I'm fast, so they can't often catch me. I miss Hogwarts. I miss YOU.  
It's been a rough summer for me, believe it or not. I think I've lost about five pounds just from running. Of course, Dudley's diet isn't helping either. Dudley is on a diet, so we ALL are. It's awful not having all of those big meals like at Hogwarts.   
Have you heard from Ron or Hermione? Ron said he was going to ask Hermione to come stay the summer with him, so they might just be too busy for us. I owled Ron twice and the only reply I got was 'Hermione's doing really well. We're having a wonderful time. Thanks for your owl, Harry.' Although I don't know WHY he won't say more, I'm sort of glad he's not pouring his heart out to me about everything he feels because of Hermione. I have enough of those feelings for you, and I think my heart might burst already, even without his input of feelings.  
I'm trying to not to get this all mushy, because I know you're not fond of sappy love-letters. It's difficult. I can't tell you how I feel without becoming fuzzy. I don't know what to say. Do you feel the same way? I know it sounds corny, but how else could I ask you? Argh, this is frustrating.  
Please send me a letter back. I can't wait for your reply. I love you.  
Love,   
Harry  
P.S. Don't laugh. I'm serious.  
I laughed aloud, more because Harry had told me not to, than because of the letter's mushy quality. I suddenly had an idea. It was complete brilliance on my part.  
"Wait here, Hedwig. I'm going to see if I can do something. It won't be long. I promise." I stroked her head once, before darting out of my room, into the kitchen where my mother was cooking dinner.  
"Mom, can I ask you a question?" I hurriedly asked.  
"You just did, but you may ask one more," she replied coolly. I supposed that this was because of my behaviour earlier.  
"Okay. Can I invite Harry to stay with us until school starts?" I asked in a rush.  
"I guess so. Go find your father and check to make sure. But, where will he sleep?"  
I thought about telling her that he could sleep in my room, but I refrained, thinking about all of the questions that would arise if I did. "He can sleep in the guest bedroom next to mine."  
"No, that's where Ria is staying. Shawn is upstairs, and Celia is too. There's not another bedroom. So, where would he sleep? On the couch? In Shawn's room, maybe?"  
"Hmm...I'm betting that you'd say no if I asked if he could sleep in my room. Right?"  
"Yes, I would say no. Well," she considered it for a moment, "I might be able to put a cot in there for him to sleep on. But under NO circumstances could he sleep in your bed," she added to the end as a warning.  
"Thanks Mom!" I said, kissing her on the cheek. I ran outside, where my father was gardening.  
Andrew Stevens, my father, hated gardening. He hated it more that I hated cooking. The only reason that he pruned the shrubs was because mother made him. And SHE only made him, because she wanted everything to be perfect for her sister's arrival. At the moment, my father was pulling Dragondyl weeds in the front flowerbed. As I neared, I heard him grumbling,  
"...I can't believe Lydia would invite them! Celia, coming here! With those two little horrors that she calls children! I'll wager that I'm dead and gone by the time she leaves. Maybe Lydia will let me go to London for something or other...It would save me so much effort. Better than trying to be nice to that seducing, psychopath sister of hers. I still can't believe...!"  
"Uh, dad?" I asked cautiously. I knew he hated Aunt Celia just about as much as I did. Celia had never been overly fond of my dad, either. She and her kids had been blatantly cruel to him.  
He spun around, obviously worried that I was my mother coming to tell him off for talking rudely about her sister. "Oh, hello, Nicky. I'm just--"  
"Don't worry," I reassured him. "I won't tell mom that you're dissing her sis. Do you know that I don't think she'd be pleased with you? After all, I just told her how much I hated Shawn, and she rambled on and on, so that now I don't even remember all of what she said. It's pathetic really. That's all it is. Pathetic. But what I came out here for was because mom just told me that if I wanted to invite Harry to come stay with us until school starts, I had to ask you. So can he? I'd be SO much happier if he was here."  
"Can who, what?" He hadn't been listening, obviously.  
I shook my head, annoyed and clarified, "Can Harry come stay here until school starts?"  
"Yes, of course. Harry Potter, coming to visit us! Who would've guessed that my daughter would ever be the Boy-Who-Lived's girlfriend? It'll make up for having those dreadful..."  
"Thanks! You're the best!" I turned around and ran back into the house. "He said yes!" I called to my mother as I ran through the kitchen, into my room.  
Once I had closed the door behind me, I whispered to Hedwig, "My parent's said that Harry can come stay here until school starts. Isn't it wonderful? You'll be staying here for a while."  
Hedwig hooted appreciatively, and I sat at my desk and began to scribble a return letter to Harry.  
Harry,  
I convinced my parents to let you come to my house and stay until school starts. Isn't that great? You'll need to ask the Dursleys, of course, but if they really hate you so much as you say, then it shouldn't be a problem. Please ask quickly! I can't wait for your reply. You always know what to say, unlike me, who is a bumbling idiot when it comes to letters. But I bet you could have guessed that from my previous ones!  
No, I haven't heard from Ron OR Hermione. I suspect they're to busy doing...other things. It's not too bad not hearing from them, but I think I'd like to get an owl every once in a while. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. I figure that it's best just to let them have some time alone. They haven't gotten much peace of mind, have they? I only remember once that they snuck off to have some private time.  
How are you? I hope you're doing well. Of course, with that what-his-name guy over at the Dursleys' you're bound to be miserable. I feel sympathetic for you. See, I'm sobbing? Not really, but I AM concerned about you, however unimaginable it may seem.   
I'm doing fine, except my horrible cousins arrive the day after tomorrow. If you can get packed by tomorrow, we'll come pick you up at three 'o clock. Maybe that'd leave us some time alone before THEY get here. I swear, if Shawn levitates me ONE MORE TIME, I am going to beat him to a pulp. Or, do you think you could intimidate him, as you ARE the Boy-Who-Lived? Hmm...I don't know, but I think Ria will be trying to steal you from me. She's a real demon-girl, depending on whom you ask. I'm not letting her have you, so don't go getting ideas. Besides, she's not very nice.  
I miss you too. If you wrote a sappy love-letter, I'm sure I'd still love it, even if it WAS corny. And, to answer your question, I do feel the same way. I guess it's natural. So, let's see. I love you AND I miss you AND I think Ria's got no chance. Yay for me. I think it's a record.  
I love you, too. Kisses.   
Love,  
Nicky  
P.S. I laughed. Oops.  
I looked over the letter for errors, and upon finding that there were none to be corrected; I tied it to Hedwig's leg. She hooted softly, and I pulled open the window. The snowy white owl flew out, with one last hoot of good-bye.  
"Fly quickly," I whispered as the sun ducked behind the trees.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"Mom! It's two-thirty! Shouldn't we be GOING now?" I yelled from my room.  
I grabbed a light-blue miniskirt and a matching quarter-length shirt. Tossing my other clothes onto my bed, I slipped the skirt on and pulled the top over my head. It fitted nicely, and I grabbed a knee-length blue jacket to go over my clothes. Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I pulled my golden hair into a half-bun, leaving some bangs (fringes) out to frame my face.  
There was a knock on my door, and I opened it. My mother was standing there, looking a bit cross. She stepped out of the doorway and said,  
"Hurry outside. Your father's in the car. He's ready to go now."  
"Okay."  
I ran out the back door, hopping down the porch steps. My father was in our forest-green Mercedes, tapping his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. I pulled open the back, left door of the car, and got in. My father turned in his seat and asked,  
"Is your mother coming?"  
"Yeah--at least, I think so."  
We waited for about five minutes before my mother rushed down the front steps. She had a handbag in one hand, and a note in the other. As she got in the car, I demanded,  
"What is that piece of paper?"  
"What? Oh, this. It's just the address for Harry's house."  
"All right. Let's go."  
Many miles later, we stopped in front of the neatest looking house, on the neatest looking block that I'd ever seen. My father pulled up in front of the house and stopped. I opened the car door and jogged quickly up to the house. The door opened as I reached it, and I saw an extremely bulky man standing in the door.  
"Are you Nicole?" he asked worriedly.  
"Um, yes sir. I'm here to pick up Harry. Where is he?"  
"I'm right here, Nicky." I saw Harry standing behind his uncle. A woman stood next to Harry, looking very nervous about something.  
"Uh, do you need help getting all your stuff out?" The tension was killing me. There was an awkward silence, in which a pudgy boy came to stand beside the woman.  
"She doesn't LOOK evil," he said incredulously. "How did YOU manage to get HER?" he asked Harry.  
"I'm lucky. Bye, Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia. See you next summer." He pushed past Vernon and dragged his trunk out. As Harry and I walked down the path, I waved goodbye to the Dursleys; who were still standing silently. I shot one last look over my shoulder, before the door shut with a snap and we were at the car.  
My father had his window rolled down. As soon as we were standing by the car, he said,  
"Hello, Harry. We're glad you could come. Nicky, help him get his school chest in the car."  
"No, I was thinking of making him get it inside by himself, thanks," I teased.  
He popped the trunk of the car and I helped Harry heave his school case into it. Then, Harry opened the car door for me, and I thanked him, before sliding in. I scooted over to the other side, so Harry could get in. He slammed the door shut as soon as he'd gotten in.  
As we drove, I chatted with Harry about our summers. While he spoke, I let my eyes travel over his figure. His hair was as unruly as ever, but had grown no longer. He had grown nearly three inches, so now he towered over me. I would have to stand on my toes to kiss him. His face was sharper, with well-defined cheekbones, and brilliant green eyes. Harry's glasses were the same, though he had obviously repaired them again.  
His body had changed too, I noticed. He was no longer a small, gangly boy, but a fully*-*grown teenage guy. His muscles showed, even with his baggy shirt. I wondered if I had changed as much. He saw me staring at him with rapt attention and asked wonderingly,  
"What?"  
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking. Go on."  
"Well, I was saying that I think you would be a great chaser. We need two, now that Katie and Angelina are gone. And we need two beaters. I don't know what we're going to do about all the empty spots," he said, his voice full of concern.  
"Oh, you'll find somebody. It's not too big a problem. I'm sure that there'll be lots of people who'll try out for the team."  
"I hope so. Hey, why don't you try out again?"  
"Oh," I blushed. Last year I had not made the team, and I had been really upset, but I was over it now. Mostly. "I don't know. I mean...I'd like to, but I'm going to be really busy with schoolwork and stuff. I just don't think I'm up for it."  
"C'mon. You'd make it. I know you will," he stated.  
"Nah, I'll decide that later. So, is there anything else to report about your summer?"  
"Not really. And you?"  
"Um, well, I was bored to death. My aunt and cousins are coming tomorrow, and I don't know what else. It was really, REALLY boring. I did all my homework in the first week, and from then on, I just sat and twiddled my thumbs," I replied.  
"Well, it sounds better than mine."  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
"Impressive," Harry said as he walked into my room and saw the shelves of books. "I didn't think someone could HAVE this many books."  
"Oh, most of these were my dad's. He gave them to me from his private library. It's not quite a collection yet, but I figure I'll keep adding on," I explained.  
"What's this?" Harry exclaimed as if he had found a hidden treasure. "Aha! It's her diary. Let's see if she has anything interesting in here..."  
"Stop! Don't you dare open that!" I ran over to him and tried to snatch the book from his hands. He raised it above my head, so that I would have to jump to get it. Harry let the cover drop open and began reading,  
"Dear Diary,  
It's been a week since school let out. I miss Harry already--"  
"Stop reading! Stop that now!" I ordered.  
"Dear Diary,  
I'm bored. If Harry was here, I'd--"  
"Argh!" I yelled, jumping up to get the book. He only held it higher and kept reading it aloud.  
"Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry. Oh, wow Nicole. You've got five pages filled with my name. I didn't realize you cared." He put on a mock act of crying. I scowled and retorted,  
"Yes! I have FIVE PAGES full of your name. Now if you'd just hand it OVER!"  
He tossed it casually on the bed, wrapping his arm around my waist and bringing me to him. I gasped in surprise as his lips covered mine and I was swept away by the ecstasy of feeling his tongue in my mouth. I let my arms lock around his neck, winding my fingers in his black hair. He grinned against my lips, tightening his grip on me. I kissed him back, allowing his fingertips to travel up and down my spine enticingly.  
The kiss deepened, soon becoming rough and even more passionate. Harry lifted me up by the waist, not breaking the kiss. He brought me so that my head was above his, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He lowered me slightly, but only enough so that our faces were level. We fell back onto the bed, him landing on top of me. I forced him to roll over, so that I was on top of him.  
A sudden knock on the door abruptly ended our kiss. I quickly rolled off him, standing up and smoothing my clothes.  
"Who is it?" I asked.  
"It's me," answered a teenage boy's voice.  
"Me? Who's me?"  
"Shawn."  
"Shawn?!" I cried incredulously.  
The door opened, and Shawn stepped in, looking faintly amused. "Don't I get a hug?" he asked. "After all, I AM the one who convinced Celia to bring us here early."  
"Um, yeah, right--"  
"Who's that?" Shawn asked. I could feel his instant withdrawal as he saw Harry lying on my bed.  
"Oh, Shawn, this is Harry Potter, my boyfriend. He's staying with us too."  
"Alright" I could still tell that Harry's presence made Shawn uneasy. "So do I get a hug or not?"  
"Uh, yeah." I walked over to him and hugged him awkwardly. As I stepped away from him, I surveyed Shawn's appearance. He was tall, taller than Harry was. His hair was silky and chocolate- coloured. Shawn had the same build as Harry, only Shawn was more filled-out. He was wearing not-too baggy jeans, and a tight black t-shirt, which would have made any girl OTHER than myself begin to drool.  
"So, you said this was your boyfriend?" Shawn inquired after a moment.  
"Yes."  
"He doesn't look your type."  
"Why not? And since when do I have a type?"  
"Since always. And I think I'm more your type of guy, but that's just my opinion. I have a couple of friends who have been asking about you, Mark, Ry, Lance, the whole gang. They all want to know if you're free," Shawn said. His friends had never wondered about me before, so I suspected that Shawn had sent them my most current photograph.  
"Ah, well you can tell them the truth then. I have a boyfriend, and I'm perfectly content being with Harry." How could I NOT be happy with him? I mean, when he kissed like that...  
"You know, Shawn," Harry interjected, "I would really prefer if you didn't go around telling all your friends that they can have Nicole. It just doesn't sit well with me." I smiled thankfully at him, and he returned a No-Problem look.  
"Well, I guess that's settled then. You know, Harry and I were in the middle of something...important. Could you just come back a little la--"  
"Nicole! Surprise, surprise! And who might this be?" Ria had just pranced into my room, tossing back her sheet of auburn-red hair. She gestured interestedly at Harry, and I knew exactly what to say.  
"Ria! What a delight! This is my BOYFRIEND," I enunciated the word 'boyfriend' clearly, "Harry Potter. I assume you know of him?"  
"Of course," Ria answered snobbily. She went to Harry's side and sat down beside him. He looked up at her from his stretched out position on the bed.  
"Could you sit over there?" he pointed at the other side of my bed. "I'm not really used to being this close to someone I've just met." He indicated how she was sitting about two inches away from him.  
"Oh, yes." I could tell from Ria's tone that she was thoroughly disappointed.  
"Um, like I was saying before I was so RUDELY interrupted, Harry and I were in the middle of something. Could you just go away for about half an hour? After then, I would LOVE to discuss everything with you. But, unfortunately, until then I won't talk to you. Now, please, GET OUT OF MY ROOM!!!"  
"Fine," Ria said, stalking haughtily out of the room.  
Shawn turned to me and jerked my chin up, so that I was looking him in the eye. "I'll be back in half an hour."  
"Right," I answered meekly.  
He turned around and stormed out of my room. I sighed and leaned back against one of the ceiling-high bookshelves, my hand on my forehead.  
"Ugh," I grumbled, banging my head back into the books. "Now I've gone and made him mad. Mother's going to kill me."  
"He started it. And what was he going on about?" Harry looked worriedly at me. "To me, it seemed sort of like what Malfoy did at the beginning of last year..." he trailed off, staring placidly at my face.  
"I don't know what he was talking about. And you're right; it DOES seem like what happened last year. But, he's my cousin, and he'd never, EVER do anything like that."  
No, he'd use force, instead of flowers, my conscience answered.  
Shut up, I replied wearily. I don't need you on my case, too. Just leave me alone. Shawn is my cousin, and as such, he is in no fit place to want to date me. Now leave me alone.  
I won't.  
You will.  
I won't.  
You will.  
I wo--  
"So, where were we?" Harry had gotten up and come to stand by me. I shoved him back onto the bed and lie down next to him.  
"I think we were right here," I kissed his nose.  
"Oh, right."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
I giggled as Harry rolled on top of me. He kissed my neck and began to move his lips slowly down to my shoulders. It felt so good.  
A knock on the door, then two. The knocking became more impatient as each passing second flew by. Finally, I got up, just as the door was flung open.  
Shawn stood in the doorway, looking peeved. "Are you finished yet? I wanted to talk to you."  
"Um," I glanced at Harry, who was busily straightening his glasses. His hair was tousled and his cheeks had a pink tinge. I quickly thought of an excuse to break the silence, "I guess we're finished. Could you wait outside for a minute? I need to...do something. It won't take but a second." Shawn reluctantly left the door, and I shut it.  
"He seems impatient," Harry stated once he had made himself presentable.  
"He is, I think. I don't know what's bugging him, but when Shawn gets angry, it's not good. He flies into a rage, breaking everything in sight. I remember one time that it happened to me. I was only thirteen when it happened."  
+Flashback+  
"No, thanks. I mean, I really don't think I'm old enough. You know, you're fifteen and I'm thirteen, and I don't think it would work. Sorry," I apologized to Mark Baker, Shawn's friend. Mark scowled and left me standing alone in the hall.  
Shawn stepped out of one of the doors, looking angry about something. He ran over to me and yelled,   
"What happened?"  
"I told him no. My mother told me that all teenage boys want from younger girls is to have sex with them. And I don't want to, so I told him no with a capital N."  
"You idiot!" I cowered back against the wall as his tidal wave of fury was let loose. He slapped me hard across the face. "You were my ticket--" he shoved me back into the wall, "into his--" another slap, "GROUP!" A well-aimed push, and I lay sprawled out, leaving Shawn towering above me. His eyes burned as he surveyed me, lying in a crumpled heap on the glossy floor of the magic school.  
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I just didn't want to."  
+End of Flashback+  
"It was terrible. He gave me a nosebleed, a pair of black eyes, and three broken ribs," I explained as Harry looked at me in utter bewilderment.  
"You don't think he'll try that again, do you?"  
"No. Not likely, anyway. You know how he said that Mark had been asking after me? Well, I'd bet my life that it's the same Mark from before. It worries me that he's told them about me. I just don't like the thought."  
Harry came over and embraced me tightly. I breathed his scent; soap, laundry detergent, and the eucalyptus water that I put on my bedspread and pillows. Harry always smelled good.  
Leaning his head down so that he could whisper in my ear, he asked, "Do you want me to come with you when you go talk to him?"  
"No. I'll be fine. I can take care of myself, and he wouldn't dare to do anything to me. Not with my parents and his mother here, at least," I hoped dearly that this was the truth.  
"All right," and with that, Harry let go of me and opened the door. Shawn was waiting outside, looking no less irritated than before.  
"You're ready?" he asked. "Good, let's go."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
Outside of my house, there was a large grove of trees. I wasn't sure what kind of trees they were, but they smelled like cedar. In the centre of the coppice, a small clearing showed the cloudy-grey sky above. On other days, the clearing might have the warm summer sun shining through the branches of the trees, but today, the overcast sky was all that showed.  
Shawn leant against a tall tree, inspecting me with interest.  
"You're pretty," he said after a few moments of silence.  
"I've been told."  
"Mark would be glad to have you."  
"I bet he would."  
"He really wants to see you again."  
"Not surprising."  
"And since he's staying in London, I think that you should get together with him sometime," he explained.  
"Maybe I should, but I won't. I love Harry, and like I said, I'm completely happy with him." I kicked at a small rock on the ground. It flew into a nearby tree.  
"What if I brought him here?" Shawn suggested.  
"I'd have Harry beat the crap out of him," I told him.  
"And what makes you think he could?"  
"Because he can."  
"I doubt it. Your boyfriend doesn't look to be the violent type."  
"You'd be amazed. He's done it before," I was reminded of how Harry had given Draco Malfoy a nosebleed after Draco had said that he loved me.  
"Uh-huh. Right, I really believe you. And Celia," I noticed how he never said Mom or mother, "told me that I could invite Mark over for dinner." He smirked at the look of shock that was on my face.  
"Mark Baker? Coming here? NO! He CAN'T come here!"  
"Ooh, pity. Because he is coming. And he'll be here in, oh," Shawn checked his watch, "five minutes. I suggest you go change into something a bit shorter." He pointed at my skirt, and how it went all the way down to my knees.  
"You are--"  
"Very handsome. Now go change clothes."  
"And if I don't?"  
"Then I'll do the same thing to you as last time you turned Mark down," he threatened. I shivered, despite the moderately warm temperature.  
"Fine." I ran up to the house, stomping up the porch steps and pushing through the back door.  
Harry was sitting on the living room couch, with Ria draped over his shoulders. She seemed to be giving him a shoulder massage that included whispering seductively in his ear. He looked very uncomfortable.  
"Ria, please don't--don't do that--not my neck--no--stop. Nicole!" he gladly acknowledged my entrance.  
"Oh, don't let me interrupt," I teased. Harry gave me a pleading look, as Ria stood, seeing what would happen.  
"I was just going to change clothes. So you have about five minutes. Hey Ria, did you know that Mark Baker is coming here for dinner?" I knew that she had a huge crush on him.  
"Mark? Oh, I have to go change!" She ran away to the guest room next to mine.  
"Thank you! Were you serious?"  
"Yeah, unfortunately. I don't know HOW Shawn planned this out, but I know he did. I have to go change clothes, too. You know, so much rolling just wrinkles these blouses."  
"Yes, I agree. I'll come with you; I don't want to chance running into her again."  
"Okay."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"How does this look?" I asked Harry. I had on a long-sleeved red and black shirt, with a short black skirt.  
"Well, I thought the outfit before this one looked good, too. But you still won't wear it."  
"Okay. Hmm...what about this?" I pulled a lavender skirt and a matching quarter-length shirt from their hangers and held them up.  
"Yes. Definitely the right outfit," he said.  
"Right, then." I stepped into my closet and tossed the red and black clothes onto the ground. I looked at my left arm, flinching as I saw the ugly black mark. The Dark Mark. It had been branded onto my skin last Christmas, when I had agreed to be a Death Eater. The only reason I had agreed was because I would have been killed if I hadn't accepted. I had told only two people of the Dark Mark's presence, professors Dumbledore and Snape. Actually, Dumbledore had told Snape, so that Snape could teach me to ignore when the Mark burned. I hadn't told Harry.  
I slipped on the lavender outfit and looked into my closet's full-length mirror. The skirt was only just long enough. Had it been an inch shorter, wearing it would have been impossible. I pulled a lavender sweater-duster from the hanger and slipped it on.  
I heard a knocking coming from my room, and then Harry called, "One minute!"  
I stepped out of the closet, twirling in a circle for Harry to see how I looked.  
"So?"  
"You look perfect."  
"Okay, I guess we should go then. Who knocked?" I asked curiously.  
"I think it was Ria, but I don't know." I nodded and we went out of my room. I heard a commotion coming from the front door, and I pulled Harry out to see what/who it was.  
A tall, golden-haired teenager stood in the hall. He was about Shawn's height, with turquoise-blue eyes. His attire was a pair of loose khaki pants and a plain, tight, white shirt. He was a modern day teenage god. Mark Baker.  
His beautiful eyes swept over me, lingering on my skirt and chest, before flicking up to my face. He smiled that perfect white smile that I remembered from my dreams. Mark let his eyes gravitate again to my upper body. I crossed my arms uncomfortably over my chest, and let Harry guide me over to Mark.  
"Nice to see you again, Nicole. It's been too long. Two years, isn't it?" He said it with such politeness, such sincerity. But I knew it was an act. "And who might this be?" he asked, shaking Harry's hand.  
"My boyfriend, Harry Potter. He's staying with us," I said glumly.  
"Hello," greeted Harry. "Nice to meet you."  
"Yes. Well, Nico--"  
"Mark!" Ria's excited hello rang through the hall. She ran in, shoving me out of the way to get to Mark.  
Ria hugged him, standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on the lips. He grinned down into her face and wrapped his arms around her. Ria melted under his gaze, blushing furiously.  
Harry and I began to walk to the kitchen. Ria and Mark followed after us, but as we reached the doorway, Mark pulled me back out of the kitchen. He tugged on my arm, pulling me to him. I looked into his face, frightened.  
"I missed you," he whispered. "You wouldn't talk to me after that day. Shawn told me about what you had said. You should've known that it wasn't true. I was telling the truth when I said I liked you."  
"What I said was true and we both know it. You would've slept with me and left me all alone again. I know it, Shawn knows it, and YOU know it. Now leave me alone." I tried to get out of his grasp, but he held onto me even tighter.  
Mark hissed, "I don't want to hurt you. I never did. Why won't you believe me? What Shawn did was wrong. He shouldn't have hit you, no matter what you did. Now, I'm giving you another chance. You're old enough now, it wouldn't be illegal. You told me then that you couldn't because you were too young and I was too old. We're only two years apart; it's not that big of an age difference. Why won't you give me a chance?"  
"Because you don't deserve it. I have a boyfriend in the next room who loves me, and who isn't just after me for sex. Now leave me alone." I wrenched myself out of his hold and hurried into the kitchen. Harry was sitting at the table with Shawn and Ria, looking worried about my sudden disappearance.  
Mark followed me in, and we didn't speak for the rest of the night.  
-------- 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (02)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: debandmercer@aol.com mailto:debandmercer@aol.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Blood Harry Draco Spin  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust  
Summary: Not too much. Just some stuff. Talking trees, you know...  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. All things in *...* are owned by Patricia C. Wrede and come from her books. I own them not (I don't own them, in other words.)  
Author notes: Thanks to everyone!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Two: Keeper Of The Woods   
"Was it just me, or did there seem to be a lot of tension between you and that Mark guy?" Harry asked from his lazy position on my bed. He was lying there on his side, watching me pull books from the shelf.  
"No, it wasn't just you. I just didn't want to talk with him, is all," I answered. It was ten o' clock, and Mark had just left my house. I hadn't said one word about him since his departure. I trailed my fingers over the spines of the books on the D shelf. Finally finding the book I was looking for, I pulled it out of the shelf.  
"So, I'm sleeping where?" Harry inquired.  
"Um, well, it's the couch, or the cot. Either you get a cot, and put it in here, or you go in the living room and sleep on the couch," I explained.  
"And, I'm guessing sleeping in your bed would be out of the question?"  
"Depending on whether I'm in the bed or not," I answered, trying not to laugh.  
"What're the chances of your parents letting me sleep in your bed with you in it?"  
"Not likely. You've got about one out of a thousand chances," I replied, finally giving up on trying not to laugh. "Unless you want to go ask my dad about letting you, a teenage guy, sleep with me in my bed, I don't think you have a chance at all. I'm his princess, remember? I don't let guys sleep in my bed. Technically," I added.  
"Okay, then I'll go with the next best thing. I'll sleep on the cot, so long as I get a goodnight kiss."  
"I thought that went without saying."  
"Well, I just didn't want to take any chances."  
"Oh, and by the way, do you want the kiss from Shawn or Ria?" I joked.  
"Hmm...let's see. That's a hard one. I can have the girl who's had her tongue down Mark's throat, or I can have the guy that invites his pervert friends over to check out my girlfriend. They're both very appealing," he laughed with me at his joke.  
"All right since you can't choose between them, you'll just have to stick with me."  
"Fine by me."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
I was lying in bed, wearing my teal-framed glasses. They were a new acquisition. Apparently, the Cruciatus curse had bad effects on your sight, so I now had to wear glasses when I read now. I was currently reading a book called 'Dream Analysis'. The soft glow emanating from my lamp bathed the room in a golden-yellow light.  
"You look scholarly," said Harry from his cot on the opposite side of the room. I turned, looking over the lenses of my glasses at him.  
"How so?"  
"Your glasses make you look smart."  
"Aren't I?" I quipped teasingly.  
"Yes, but they make you look even more intelligent," he replied.  
"Okay." I went back to reading.  
Doctor Sybil C. Daze of the Magical Dream Research Foundation claims that Dream Analysis is a complexly based pattern. Some herbs induce what some term 'Psychic Revelations' and others call 'Cockamamie'. Mugwort is one of such herbs. As folklore says, sleep with mugwort underneath your pillow, and you will experience these 'Psychic Revelations'. Many magical colleges are currently studying these ideas.  
One such study, the Dark Dreaming Project, intends to challenge these theories.  
Becoming bored with the droning quality of the book, I set it on my nightstand. I removed my glasses and rubbed my eyes tiredly. I heard a rustling from the other side of the room, and looked over at Harry. He was sitting up, staring vacantly at the floor.  
"Harry, what's wrong?"  
He raised his eyes to mine and answered,  
"I'm just worried. My scar's been hurting a lot lately. It was hurting all through dinner."  
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, hopping out of bed and walking over to him. When he wouldn't look at me again, I sat on the floor with my legs under me.  
I put my hand on his cheek, willing him to look at me. What happened then was like nothing I'd ever experienced.  
A loud whooshing sound. There were screams all around. I heard a high-pitched laughing. Another whoosh. I heard the whispering of many people. It rustled around the room like wind blowing through the branches of trees. Yet another whoosh. There was a man's voice, and a woman's. The woman was hysterical. She was pleading 'No! Take me. Take me instead!" A crazy laughing, and a loud crash. A baby's wail. A flash of green light. A last whoosh, and all was gone.  
I stared up into a pair of brilliant green eyes. Black hair. Glasses. Lightning bolt shaped scar. Harry.  
"Nicole, Nicole! What happened? You went all rigid. Should I go get help?"  
"N-No. I'm fine, really."  
I sat up, only to immediately fall back. Harry looked worried. He asked me,  
"You're sure you don't need help?"  
"Can you help me to stand? I think I'm just tired, is all."  
He nodded, and slung my arm over his shoulders. Harry slowly helped me up, and then assisted me over to my bed. He picked me up in his arms and laid me gently on the bed, under the covers.  
"How come all you guys can carry me? That's the second time in a one-year span that I've been carried," I joked weakly.  
"I don't know. Maybe it's a gift. You don't need anything?"  
"No," I answered. I laid my head on the pillow, and listened to Harry getting settled in his cot.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"Mmm...." I felt the soft kisses on my neck. "Mmm..." I repeated.  
"Nicole...wake up...please, Nicky...c'mon wake up..."  
"Mmm? Don't stop...mmm...good. Yum." I opened my eyes, and saw Harry's bright-green eyes looking lovingly down at me. He was sitting on the side of my bed.  
I locked one arm around his neck and pulled him down, so that his mouth covered mine. He smiled, and I let his tongue roam freely in my mouth. What a good wakeup call. I was swept away by the intoxicated feeling I got when I pulled away for breath, and Harry planted light kisses on my mouth.  
"Mmm..." I sighed contentedly. He sat up and gazed into my face. "So, why was it so urgent for me to wake up?"  
"I wanted to talk. About last night," I could tell from his tone this was the point he had been most anxious about discussing, "you never told me what happened, and I want to know."  
"Okay, can we talk about this later? I'd like to eat first, and get dressed. Then I'll explain everything."  
"Good," he replied.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"So, explain to me what happened, again. I still don't understand."  
"Okay, look," I explained for what seemed like the thousandth time, "I touched your face. Then, I don't know. It was...like I was seeing visions through you. I heard...screams. Then there was a whooshing sound. I heard whispering, then. There was another whoosh, and I saw a bright green flash. Well, before that, there was a woman's screaming, and a high laugh."  
"Like a jackal?"  
"Maybe. It was a man's laughter, but it was odd...too high-pitched. I don't know, Harry. I just don't know."  
"I need to owl Sirius. He'll know what to do," I heard Harry murmur.  
"Sirius?"  
"What?" he seemed startled that I'd overheard his private conversation with himself. "Oh, that. I was just mumbling that I thought this was serious."  
"Okay," I answered slowly and curiously. It was the first time he'd ever lied to me. I stood up, leaving Harry to mull over what I'd told him.  
Thinking that I needed some fresh air, I began to head outside. Breakfast was finished, and had been for quiet some time. I had spent half an hour explaining to Harry everything that I had seen last night when I had touched his face. Neither hide nor hair of my cousins had been seen this morning, and I thought that it was definitely for the best. I wasn't looking for another close encounter with Shawn. His temper was too easily heightened, his anger too easily flared. Whether or not he would have threatened me again, I did not know, but the thing I did know, was that he could be very dangerous when the need be.  
I trudged slowly down into the grove of cedar trees. This was my niche, my safe place. It was the place I went to when I was upset, and most often my anger would show in the deep ruts in the moist soil. When I was sad, I would climb up into one of the tallest trees, a weeping willow, the only one on our property. It was my absolute favourite spot. This was my true alcove of privacy and protection. No one knew of the willow's existence. It was my secret from the rest of the world. Neither of my parents favoured the woods, so they steered clear of our tiny forest, and therefore, my hiding place was unknown to all but myself. This willow was not in the clearing. It was farther back, between the large cedars. Where the willow was situated, hardly any light penetrated the thick ceiling of leaves. Of course, some light managed to sneak in through the cracks, but not enough so that anyone could see me. Today, the sky was overcast again, and the dim light that filtered through the canopy of leaves was greyish blue, bathing the tree, and myself, in its blue blanket of misty light. Blue, the colour of sadness and depression.   
I sat, my back against one of the branches. This branch was curved, like a lounging chair. It had two branches extending on either side, so that it was exactly like reclining in a favorite chair. I could've chosen many branches, but this one seemed the right one for the time being. This tree, and all of its branches, I knew like the back of my hand. I could move throughout it, easily tiptoeing from branch to branch, using some of the higher boughs to cling to. It was my ultimate haven. My Eden. I had not grown any of the trees of course, but it seemed to me like they were alive, and I had the key to unlocking their secrets. The wind whispered through the tree's limbs, sounding more like the woods were telling secrets. Possibly they were conversing about me, the girl who knew them like a person knows his best friends. Maybe they were speaking poetry, filled with warmth and life, and spirit. Perchance they were conversing the sudden arrival of fall. Perhaps, perhaps, they were speaking of days past. Days when no one would visit them for months, allowing them to grow on their own, speaking no kind words to them. The days when the landowners left them alone, letting them sit out their days, sufficing with whispering between each other, never having much to tell.  
It was this that brought me back to this place; this feeling of life, and comfort. The feeling of security, which my life failed to supply for me. The tree's whispering allowed me to tap into my natural talents of precognition. Sometimes, I would sit for hours, relaxing my body, letting the energy flow through my hands, down my spine. Eventually, I would experience I light floating sensation, much like how you feel after the dentist has given you sleeping gas. While I was out of mind, I saw many things; things past, things present, and things to come. However hard I tried, when I attempted to snatch at the vague pictures I had seen, I never managed to hold onto them. They always slipped out of my grasp, as water does when you cup it in your hands. Never could I remember the images that relaxation had conjured. The routine was done today.  
I sat, lying back in a comfortable position on one of the tree's large boughs. My feet dangled over the sides, eight feet into the air. I leaned my head back onto the upward-slanting limb, wistfully inhaling the soft, light breeze that Gain laundry detergent claimed to capture, but didn't really. Soon, I felt the tingling in my hands, which lay clasped leisurely on my stomach. It spread through my arms, to my elbows. From my elbows, to my shoulders. Then the light feeling began to seep downwards, flowing through my lungs and down to my legs. I felt the tingling sensation surge into my feet, ending at my toes. I was unaware that I had floated blissfully into a state of sub-consciousness.  
When I awoke, some time later, all I knew was that something was definitely amiss. I looked around me, and noticed that I was no longer on the bench-like branch. Instead, I seemed to be floating in midair. Cautiously, I rolled over, finding that I did not fall. I hung like a puppet, airborne. I was only waiting for some mysterious force to pull my strings, and let me down.  
"What in the world?" I finally managed to whisper.  
"The world, yes. The world. This is the world. Your world, our world. One, together, all connected, all living. Your question, oddly phrased. Clarification, if you might?"  
"Clarification?" I asked into the silence. "Okay, well, why am I floating?"  
"She is intelligent, this one. Do you remember the last we met, Argil?"  
"Ah, such a great time ago. Not another has come, since then. Silence, yes silence. It has been many years. Her question, Melagh, her question. Answer her. The keeper asked you a question."  
"Alright, Argil. Keeper, you asked why you were floating, did you not?" Without waiting for a reply, the voice (Malagh) went on, "Well, you are levitating, to be more precise. And, for good reason. You fell asleep, dear keeper."  
"Keeper? Who is the keeper?"  
"You are, dear keeper. It is you, that wondrous of gifts has been bestowed upon. Of course, we were the ones to grant you our gift. The gifts, our gifts. The gift of being The Keeper of the Wood," Argil answered.  
"The Keeper of the Wood?" I repeated the title. "And, that's me?"  
"Yes, dearest keeper. You are our keeper. You converse with us. We are your friends, allies. There are more of us, of course; Deluad, Wendil, Salem, Justicia, all like us. They are silent now, and blessed that they are. Most often no-one can get them to be quiet," Argil went on.  
"Who are you? WHAT are you?"   
"We are the Earth-Keepers, the Air-Bringers, the Water-Bearers, and the Life-Carriers. We are the Spirits of the Goddess. Spirit Trees," Melagh explained.  
"Trees? I am having a conversation with trees?"  
"Yes, keeper."   
"Argil! What are you talking about?" a new voice added to my confusion.  
"Justicia, she is here. The keeper. Introduce yourself, Justicia. I sense her confusion. She doesn't believe us."  
"Ah, keeper. Yes, of course. Formalities must be observed. Keeper, I am Justicia. Justicia, Spirit Caller. Do you remember me?"  
"Remember you? I don't know any trees, so I don't think..."  
"I am the Willow of Truth and Callings. Do you know me now?"  
"Oh!" I exclaimed, realizing that it was my willow. "Um," I suddenly thought of how I was still hanging precariously in the air, "could you put me down first?"  
"Of course, keeper," answered Melagh.  
I slowly drifted over to my usual willow branch. Melagh continued,  
"Justicia, would you mind if I set her on your branch?"  
"Put her down on her usual limb, Melagh. Yes, that one there. Very good, Melagh." I suddenly found myself perched on the crooked limb that I usually sat on. It took me a moment before I was calm enough to manage speaking. Thoughts raced through my head, most of them relating to 'insanity', 'madness', and 'delusional'. Then, I settled myself into a comfortable position, ready to hear all that the trees had to say.  
"You, as The Keeper of the Woods, have special gifts. We have bestowed on you the gift of speech. You will be able to converse with all trees, now. But, with the gift, burdens come. It is your job to protect us from the harm of other humankind. You must bring us information from the outside world of men, and we will inform you of new doings in our world. The birds are our consuls, of sorts," Justicia told me.  
"And no-one else can do this job. You alone have been chosen. There is no other trustworthy human. If you accept this job, which you must, you will fulfil your duties and we will fulfil ours. Your agreement means our safety. You must accept," Argil said.  
"Then I guess I agree. So, I protect you from humans and tell you the news, you tell me the news from the outside world and I can talk to trees? I can do that...I think. Okay, yeah, I agree."  
"Very well, keeper. Visit us often, as is the norm for you," Justicia requested.  
"Oh, yeah. I will."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"Nicole, I think something's wrong. I mean, you're talking to trees," Harry said incredulously.  
"Well, sorry, but...I didn't ask to become their keeper. It just sort of...happened."  
"I've supported you this far, visions, nightmares, reckless adventures, but this is almost too much to bear. I'm not saying that I give up on you, or anything, but...trees?"  
"Well, come with me to talk to them. You'll see what I mean. They said that no-one else could do the job. It's me, or nobody at all. Now come here," I ordered.  
Harry raised an eyebrow, his teenage mind noticing the slight undertones that I had deliberately put in my voice. He cautiously stepped over to my bed, where I was sitting. I could tell that he was intrigued at my tone, though his mind would not allow him to realize what he was doing.  
When he was standing directly in front of me, I noticed that he had his arms crossed over his chest. I shook my head, smiling, and moved further forward. He shot a sideways glance at me, curious about what I was doing. I touched his hand, pulling it away from his chest. Then I took his other hand in mine, and dragged him closer to me. Harry allowed himself a grin, before putting his palms on my shoulders and pushing me back onto the bed. He leaned over me, smiling widely.  
"So, you're talking to trees, having weird dreams, and managing to get me interested. What next?"  
"Well, in movies, you'd kiss me and we'd make-up. Or make-out, as the case may be."  
"Okay."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"Nicole, we need to talk." I spun around to face the intruder. The tall man-or was he only a teenager- in the doorway was staring at me with a fixed expression. His face, that perfect face, I had not seen in months. He mesmerized me, confusing me at the same time.   
"Talking to you. I remember the last time. It was," I paused, "the day before school let out. How I treated you, I'm sorry for that. I wasn't sure if I could trust you--or anyone."  
"Nicole, darling, it's not important. Really, you thought I would stop loving you? Did I not tell you that my love would never die?"  
"You did, at that. Actually, you reiterated your point many times. I don't even remember the number. I lost count after the first few," I admitted, looking at the floor of the large bedroom. The stone floor was cool, and I would have gladly lain down on it, to escape the heat that was rising in my face as I flushed.  
The man--maybe he was only a boy, still--strode boldly over to me. He touched my face, raising my gaze to his. I mouthed wordlessly, surely looking like a fish out of water. He smiled--smirked. It was the expression that he usually wore, though he managed most days to mask the cold sneer and give me a sweet smile. Today, tonight, he gave no effort to hide his leer.   
"I told you, didn't I? I gave that up. I gave him up. I serve no one but myself--and you, if you would only allow me to. Whether or not you believe me, is up to you to decide. Ask yourself this, though, before you choose; have I ever lied to you?  
"Not really," I whispered.  
"Then do you really believe me about this?"  
"Yes," I hissed. He knew I didn't like to talk about it.  
"So?"  
"Draco, leave me alone!"  
"What did you say?" Harry's voice broke the crystal silence of the dream.  
"I--said something?"  
"Yeah, you said, quite distinctly 'mmm, Draco'. Now, I don't know what you were seeing, but I can bet that I won't like it."  
"Oh, I don't think--"  
"That's a load of rubbish, and you know it. I want the truth," Harry said.  
"The truth? Okay, Harry. The truth: I'm madly in love with Draco, and I think we should see other people."  
A/N: Cliff-hanger! Major bummer! Too bad. You're probably going to curse me for this one, but I'm going to let you. The next chapter will explain everything. It's not as it seems, I promise you.  
Next Chapter: Nicole! You have got some explaining to do! No, really. She'll have some explanations. Was she being sarcastic, or...was she serious? Ooh, I can't tell you!  
Harry will get very moody, and there are some explanations. Lots of them, actually. The trees will be helpful. I have qualms about having talking trees, but I had to add them. They were begging to be put in. Now, we'll move on. There's some problems, I daresay, and definitely some misunderstandings. Hope you liked it! 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (03)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: debandmercer@aol.com mailto:debandmercer@aol.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Draco Harry Blood Daggers  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust  
Summary: Nicole Stevens, sixth year American student at Hogwarts, is not enjoying her summer. However, when her boyfriend, Harry Potter, comes to visit, Nicole is in for the time of her life, or so she wishes... Nicole is again faced with teenage dilemmas, Draco, Voldemort, Draco, school, Draco, Trelawney, oh, and did I mention DRACO!? How she deals with these crisises is up to her...or is it?  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Nicole belongs solely to me. The trees do as well. You MAY NOT use my characters without my permission. E-mail me to get permission.  
Author notes: Thanks, you guys. You rock.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Three: Hey, We're Not Romeo and Juliet!  
When last we left them...  
"That's a load of rubbish, and you know it. I want the truth," Harry said.  
"The truth? Okay, Harry. The truth: I'm madly in love with Draco, and I think we should see other people."  
"Excuse me?" Harry asked.  
"It was a joke, Harry. God, you're so paranoid!"   
"Well, why wouldn't I be?"  
"Because," I rolled over to face him. He looked ticked off, unsurprisingly. I pulled him closer, giving him a quick kiss on the nose, "Because, I love you, and I would never do that. You know that, don't you?"  
He sat up, wearing an expression of utmost frustration. Harry ran his hand through his hair, tousling it even more. When he had finished, he stared intently at me. His dazzling green eyes shone in the darkness, as they seemed to pierce through my heart. He searched my face, looking for something hidden deep beneath my calm exterior. As he looked into my eyes, I felt bare and unprotected. His eyes darkened as he found what he was looking for. He had found that shred of truth behind the lie. I knew that I would have some major explaining to do.  
"Why did you say that?" His question sounded like I had betrayed him.  
"I didn't mean it. I was only joking. I didn't realize that you would--"  
"What, you didn't realize that I might actually believe you? You didn't stop to think about my feelings? You don't think about me! I don't know a lot about girls, but most of them don't treat their boyfriends like this! Look at Ron and Hermione! They're not being like this to each other! They really think about each other's feelings! How are we ever going to have a relationship, when you make sarcastic jokes about other guys? I mean, sure, you can check out a guy every once in a while, but this is ridiculous! You're fraternizing with my sworn rival! Is that something every girl does?"  
He was quite out of breath when he finished his rant. I sighed, rubbing my eyes.  
"Harry, whatever I'm doing, I promise you that what I really want is to be with you. However I've been acting, I don't mean to. All I want is to be with you. I know this sounds stupid and idiot and rambling, but I am completely serious. My life, believe it or not, revolves completely around you!" I watched the look of utter surprise on Harry's face. Whatever he had been expecting me to say that certainly hadn't been it.  
"Y--You mean that?"  
"Yeah, Harry. I mean it."  
"Oh."  
He lay back down on the pillow beside me. I rolled back on my other side, so as to escape further questioning. He wrapped his arm around my waist, drawing me to him. I relaxed considerably when he whispered in my ear,  
"I'm sorry."  
"I am too. It's no big deal."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"So, what was the yelling about last night?" Ria asked.  
I turned to face her. She had obviously followed me down from the house. I was in my grove of trees, inspecting the oaks with interest. They were silent today. Good thing, it wouldn't have done for Ria to hear me talking to trees. She wouldn't understand.  
"You two weren't--you know, doing that...were you?" she sounded interested.  
"No, we weren't. We were just discussing our relationship."  
"Must've been a heated argument. I heard yelling from both of you. I couldn't hear what you were saying, but I figured that it wasn't good."  
"Well, great for you," I returned moodily. "Nothing's wrong, or anything. We were just arguing about something. Not a real problem, though. We resolved it."  
"Oh," Ria sounded disappointed. "That's...nice."  
"Isn't it?" I asked her sweetly. "Could you leave? I came to be alone."  
"Shawn thinks you spend too much time by yourself. He wants to talk. I don't know why," she added, seeing the look on my face.  
"If he wants to talk, we can talk. Not now, though. I'm busy."  
"How can you be busy if you're alone?"  
"Easy. I think about things. I work out problems. Now, will you go?" I asked. She shrugged, her burgundy hair cascading in waves down her shoulders.  
"I don't care. I just came out here because Shawn told me to. He's not going to be happy that you won't talk with him now, but whatever you want." She walked out of the wood, leaving an empty feeling in the air.  
Well, maybe it was a not-so-empty-after-all feeling.  
"Do you bring news, keeper?" the voice of Melagh asked.  
"Very straight to the point, aren't you?" Justicia quipped. "No formalities whatsoever. What are your manners coming to, Melagh?"  
"What is this that I hear of the keeper?" a new voice wondered. "Is she here? I have not met her yet. Keepers, oh how very many we have had. There were a great number at one time, but it has died down. Rarely do we find a suitable person. It is a flaw, becoming most common in humans these days. How is the keeper? She is here, no?"  
"Yes, Wendil. She is here. Keeper, meet Wendil; he is the Converser. He communicates with the animals. And I know we have not told you of our positions. I am the Wind-Carrier. I speak with the birds. Very useful creatures, birds," Argil said.  
"And I, keeper, am the Dream-Tree. I am the Vision-Carrier. I have seen your visions. You do not remember them, but I do. We will discuss them later," Justicia quietly whispered. She seemed to be the quietest tree of the lot.  
"Keeper, I am the Soul-Finder. I do the job of resolving conflicts and disputes. I also can locate any person or animal in the world. I talk with Spirits. And, I might add, we can converse over long distances. Mentally, we could still speak with you, even if you were in America. Not a bad trait," Melagh informed me.  
"Keeper, you have not met me before. I am Salem. My bark can be used for potions, thus the name Salem. My bark is powerful. It can substitute for anything. I have the power to call the Goddess Isis's powers. It is not used for anything but the most important issue."  
"Deluad is the Water-Caller. He brings rain. Very silent, he has been. Calling up a Thunderstorm, most likely. Takes about two days to do," Argil said.  
"Wait, we can all talk, even if I am at school?"  
"Yes," Justicia answered. "If you need anything, or if we need news."  
"Okay. Well, Melagh, could you possibly find two souls for me?"  
"Anything for the keeper," she said.  
"Alright," I paused, pondering whether I really wanted to know what I was going to ask about. "Okay, Melagh. Please find...Lord Voldemort."  
"Very well," there was silence, while Melagh supposedly found him. "Keeper, you asked for me to find Lord Voldemort. He knew he was being tracked. I tried to find him before he flung up his shields, but it was no use. I apologize. Would you like for me to try again?"  
"No. Maybe later, though. Now, will you please find one of my friends? His name is--"  
"His name is Draco Malfoy, Melagh. I see it in her head. The keeper is worried about him. Hurry, Melagh. I have a feeling he will be difficult to find," Justicia predicted.  
"Of course," Melagh replied. She went quiet.  
I asked, to no-one in particular, "Can you all see what I'm thinking?"  
"No, only I can do that," Justicia told me. "In a sense, we all can, yes. We are not speaking aloud now, but you can hear us. You must speak aloud, if even in a whisper. However, there are some instances where you could speak mentally with all of us. If you were away, for example; at school, on holiday. It is only rarely used. Speaking vocally is much less difficult for humans."  
"Okay. I guess that makes sense. Why is she taking so long?" I suddenly asked myself. "She should have found him by now."  
"I told her it would be tricky to get a hold of that one. Draco Malfoy, yes. I do know of the Malfoy family. Very dark, Malfoys. Yes. We can wait for her to finish. Time is no issue."  
"Yeah. Yeah, okay. I'll just wait. No need to get worried," I reassured myself.  
"You are a seer, did you know?"  
"Yeah, actually."  
"Well, that is a wonderful gift. It will protect many," Justicia informed me.  
"Okay," I said restlessly. Why was Melagh taking so long?  
"You wish to know of your dreams, correct?"  
"Yes, it would be nice," I snapped testily. "It's not that I don't want to know, but I just want to be quiet while we wait for Melagh to finish."  
I sat down on the moist soil, leaning back against the willow. The dirt was slightly damp, and I could feel the life that was contained within it. It calmed me, letting the pent up frustration flow out through me into the earth. I felt the soil soaking up my emotions, relieving me of the worry that had come with the news that Lord Voldemort could not be tracked, would not be tracked.  
"I have found him," Melagh's voice brought me from my reverie of thought. I looked up, staring into Justicia's branches.  
"Where is he, Melagh?"  
"I have found that he is not very far from here. Your Mister Malfoy is in London. The Leaky Cauldron, to be precise. I do not know what he is doing there," Melagh answered my unasked question.  
"Okay, thanks. I'm just going to stay here for a while longer, if you don't mind?"  
"Of course not, keeper. You may stay however long you like. But, if you would mind, please inform us of goings-on in the outside world," Argil asked.  
"Oh, well, I don't know, really. I saw an article in the Daily Prophet. It said that there has only been one occurrence of Death Eater activity in the past three months. I'd like to say that no news is good news, but that would contradict my personal feelings. From my dealings with Voldemort, he doesn't seem like someone to tangle with. I'd bet my life that he already has an evil scheme. He's just waiting for the right time to strike," I told them.  
"Oh dear. I have heard from the birds," Argil said. "There seems to be a massing in the north. Many wizards have been meeting privately. It troubles me that no one has heard of it. The birds do not speak to humans, and neither do the animals. It must be that your--Voldemort did you call him? Well, it must be that this Voldemort person is very discreet. Even the birds do not know what the wizards have been meeting about. I suspect that he is behind all of this. I feel it."  
"Oh, great. I need to tell Harry. He'll want to know, I think. I'm going to go tell him. See you later, okay?"  
"We aren't going anywhere," Justicia said. I laughed, thinking of how odd it would look for the trees to begin walking away.  
"Yeah," and with that, I hurried away, up to my house.  
I hopped up the stairs of the wraparound porch, running carelessly through the front door, straight into my favourite cousin Shawn. He caught me in his arms, and helped me stand. I brushed the dirt off my clothes as he watched. When I had finished, I hurriedly apologized.   
"So sorry, Shawn. I'm in a hurry to talk to Harry. Could you please let me by?"  
"Not so fast, dear cousin." He smirked at me, "I was coming outside to see you. I wanted to talk with you, as Ria mentioned. Would you mind taking fifteen minutes off from your precious boyfriend to talk with me?"  
"Later," I brushed off his request.  
He pressed on, "It wouldn't take long. I promise. Just fifteen minutes. Please?"  
"Argh, fine. Come on, we'll talk outside." I turned around and walked back through the door that I had just entered.   
Shawn grinned, more of a smirk than a grin, but it was a grin all the same. The door swung closed behind us, as Shawn followed after me. He gestured at the porch chairs, and I sat in one of them, he followed suit.  
"So, Nicky," Shawn started, "I was talking with Mark after dinner the other night. He didn't seem to be happy with the results of your little talk. I still don't understand why you won't accept his offer. He's the best you could hope for."  
"It's a nice offer, I'll grant you that. But, what you can't seem to get into your head is that I LOVE HARRY! Now, if you're trying to set me up with him again, I'm warning you: Don't you dare. Don't try it, or I will fix the problem once and for all. I'm leaving, I don't need this." I stood up and stormed through the door, listening to it slam shut behind me.  
When I checked in my room, I found only Harry's school trunk. I ran into the hall, looking for him. He was nowhere to be seen. Darting up the stairs, I dashed top-speed into my father's home library. There were only a couple of books lying on the table. I scowled and ran back downstairs. Once I was in the kitchen, I paused for a moment, thinking of possible places that Harry might have disappeared to.  
Maybe he's outside.  
He's not, dear, my conscience answered. I heard some noises coming from in there: Ria's room.  
No way! She wouldn't DARE! No, I won't think that, not even of her. Ria would never, never try to seduce Harry. And besides, it wouldn't work.  
I wouldn't be so sure, argued my conscience.  
"Oh fine," I said aloud. I headed over to Ria's door, pressing my ear against it.  
"...Harry, dear...never know...what does she mean to you? Nothing...it's not wrong...no it's not..."  
"But, I love Nicky...stop that...Ria, I'm serious...mmm...mmm...good..."  
I suddenly regained my senses, and threw open the door. For a few seconds, I stood staring amazedly at the scene in front of me. Harry was lying on her bed, his shirt long gone. Ria was sitting on her knees beside him, seemingly in the middle of unbuttoning his pants. Her auburn-maroon hair was tumbling over her shoulders, onto Harry's chest. He looked extremely nervous. His jet-black locks stood out brightly against the white bedspread. The colors jumped out at me; red curtains, bright-golden wood floor, the black of Harry's tresses, the sheet of burgundy that was Ria's hair, Ria's black shirt that was halfway unbuttoned, Harry's pale hands that were resting on Ria's hips, and the vivid green of Harry's eyes. Then, everything went double-speed. Harry hopped up from the bed, pushing Ria away from him. He ran over to me and began to furiously explain. Ria stared stock-still at him, never allowing her eyes to stop feasting on his body. I heard my own voice as if from far away say, Don't explain, I can tell what happened; How could you? Then I turned and ran out the door, down the hall, through the front door, down the lawn, into the grove, and finally through the dark path that led to my willow. I climbed up into Justicia's branches, thankful for her boughs and leaves that hid me from view. I leaned back against my favourite branch, breathing heavily from all of the running I had just done. My tears began flowing.  
I pulled my knees up to my face and crossed my arms over them. Then, I buried my head in my arms and let myself sob unrestrainedly. The sound of my crying echoed through the trees, yet there was a musty silence around. My tears splashed onto Justicia's branch, and for once, I was thankful of her silence. Emotions coursed through me; hate, fear, betrayal, sadness. Sadness was the feeling that washed over me, burying me in its foamy wave of depression. I was swept away, allowing the grief to wash me away in its tides. The sorrow overcame every other emotion I had. No hate or fear could compete with that feeling of utter misery.  
Soon, my crying became softer. Fewer tears fell, and I was only hiccupping occasionally. I coughed, my breathing raspy. Then, I heard a soft, comforting voice saying,  
"Keeper, do not be sad. Your sorrow is unnecessary. You know that. Now, stop crying. Just relax. It is all right. Everything is going to be fine." It was Justicia.  
"H-how can I?" I cried. "H-he was snogging my COUSIN! I thought he loved me! He is such a narcissistic liar!" I yelled into the stuffy quiet.  
"Keeper, you know that that is not true. She is only trying to lure him. You know that that girl is a temptress. Now, why don't you listen to what he has to say?"  
"Because I don't want to," I told the willow. "Harry doesn't deserve my attention."  
"Possibly you are overreacting. It does not seem likely that--"  
"Nicole! Nicole, are you in here? Come on, I'm sorry! Please come here!" Harry's voice rang through the wood, breaking the calmness of the forest.  
I paused, pondering whether or not I wanted to answer. After a few moments, which seemed like ages, I called out, "I'm in the willow!"  
"What?" Harry asked.  
"The willow! Go through the clearing and you'll see it!"  
He must have done what I had told him to, because I suddenly heard the telltale of cracking twigs. I looked down, seeing the eight feet that was between the ground and me.  
"Jump," I heard Justicia's voice in my head. "You won't hurt yourself. I promise."  
I nodded resolutely and hopped down from the branch. I landed catlike on the ground, and stood. Harry was standing in front of the willow, looking surprised at my sudden appearance. His shirt was only half-buttoned, and he had obviously been in a hurry to get outside. He started to move towards me, but I motioned for him to stop. I leaned back against the willow-trunk, and asked as smoothly as possible.  
"So, you've decided to stop making-out with Ria? How lucky I am. What did you come here for?"  
"I was coming to apologize for what I did. It was wrong."  
"I know," I retorted.  
"Well, what you saw, we hadn't...done anything."  
"Really?" I asked antagonistically. "From what I'd heard and seen, you'd done quite a bit. Or maybe you need to be refreshed: When someone moans 'mmm' then it usually means something not good. Yeah, you did a lot more than you'll admit. And might I ask where your shirt went and how it got there? Or, maybe I should ask why she was trying to get your pants off."  
"I can answer both of those questions," he replied. "She took off my shirt, and it was on the floor. And she was trying to get my trousers off because that's what she does."  
"Lame excuse," I snapped. "How could you? I was planning to have a nice day with you, as this is your birthday, but I suppose that you can celebrate with her."  
"Look, please don't be this way."  
"What WAY? Now, you're the one who has this 'way' you keep talking about! I haven't been going around in a lip-lock with Ria!" I shuddered. "Why don't you just go away and leave me alone? Tonight, you can move your cot into HER room. Not that you'll need it, after all. I know you'll just be dying to get into each other's pants!"  
"What! That's not true and you know it! I'd never! How could you think that?"  
"How could I think that? Oh god, this is so stupid. I think that because you were undressing! I swear, you're so idiotic: 'how could you think that?' Ugh, I'm leaving!" I turned and shoved past him, he grabbed my arm and dragged me back.  
"You're not listening to me."  
"NO, you're right!!! I'm not!" I slapped him and yanked myself out of his hold. He stood, staring bewilderedly at me as I ran out of the forest, to the safety of my bedroom.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--* 


	4. Chapter 4

Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers(04)  
  
Previous Chapter Back to Author Page Next Chapter   
Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (04)  
Author name: AquilisRose  
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole daemon hehe Draco ?  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust,   
The Golden Compass (  
Summary: Nicole Stevens is normal, mostly. She just has wierd dreams. What?!?!  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned   
by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books,   
Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being   
made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own the   
book 'The Golden Compass'. I borrowed names from there. I claim no right to   
them. Any spells in '...' are copyrghted by Patricia C. Wrede, and I claim no   
right to them.  
Author notes: Go girl! Go!!! Grr!!! Smily. Thanks to my beta, Tril, my bestest   
online friends, Kim and Kara, and my friends at home here in Loserville USA.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Four: Squee and Ice-Cream  
Happy birthday songs were so moronic. This one especially. I watched in disgust   
as my family sang 'Happy Birthday' to Harry. I kept my mouth clamped shut,   
determined not to sing. Harry didn't deserve it. I was tempted to go call Mark   
Baker to see if he had plans for tonight.  
"Now blow out your candles and make a wish!" Ria said excitedly.  
I felt Harry looking at me as he blew out his sixteen candles. I scowled down at   
the floor, not returning his gaze. Soon my mother declared that it was time for   
us to go into the living room to open presents. I had only thrown my gift onto   
the table after my father had badgered me about it.  
"Open mine first!" Ria exclaimed.  
"All right." I watched as he tore the paper off of a small box. Inside, a shirt   
lay on a bunch of tissue paper. The shirt was vivid green, like Harry's eyes.  
Okay, one analogy is enough, I thought miserably to myself.  
"Who's this from?" Harry had picked up my present. He was looking expectantly at   
me. I raised my hand lazily; ignoring my parent's piercing stares.  
He ripped off the wrapping, and beneath it was an extremely long package. He   
lifted the lid, and smiled. It was a Firebolt 2003, the newest and fastest   
version. I had bought it for him at the end of school, because he had left his   
broom at the Dark Lord's castle last year. The broom's brilliant blood red   
handle glinted in the dim light. It's gold lettering proclaimed 'Firebolt 2003   
LTD. Edition'.  
"Thanks, Nicky," Harry said.  
"Urgh," I replied. It was a non-committal answer.  
We finished the gift opening and I made excuses that I felt sick. I went into my   
room and slipped into my comfy pyjamas. Sighing, I sadly climbed into my   
double-high bed. This was no fun.  
I heard low voices in the hall, but I ignored them. When I heard my door open   
and close softly, I sat up. Harry looked at me, then at the floor. He mumbled   
something indistinguishable at the floor.  
"What?"  
"I said I was sorry," he clarified. "I didn't mean to let it go that far." When   
he saw my expression he continued, "She said she wanted to talk with me, and I   
went with her. Ria took me into her room, and then just sort-of--"  
"So you're blaming it on her? Well, I don't know, but I think that kissing   
really needs the cooperation of two people to work. Don't you agree?"  
"No, I'm not blaming her; I'm just telling you what happened. Please forgive me.   
I know I don't deserve it, but...I don't want to lose you. You're the one thing   
I care about. If the rest of the world falls to pieces, then that's fine by me,   
just so long as you're okay."  
"Yeah, well, I agree with you: you DON'T deserve forgiveness. How can I trust   
someone who goes around kissing my cousin? I need to know that you're serious   
about our relationship. About me."  
"How much do you need?" he asked mischievously.  
"What were you thinking of?" I asked.  
"Oh, you know. The usual; locked door, and all that. Too bad we don't have a   
desk. That was fun." He was, of course, referring to last year's Yule Ball. We   
had--never mind, it doesn't add to the story.  
"Well, I guess you don't have to move your cot into Ria's room. But, if you ever   
do that again, I swear I'll--" He cut me off by sweeping me into his arms and   
giving me a long kiss.  
I allowed myself a grin. Harry was serious.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"Oi, Nicky, you've got an owl." I smiled as Harry handed me a letter across the   
table. It was breakfast, and summer was almost over. We had not had any more   
squabbles, and happily so. I took my letter from him, just as a second owl flew   
threw the open window.  
I silently read my letter.  
Dear Miss Stevens,  
Term begins on September first. You shall meet in the Entrance hall at seven o'   
clock, along with the other students. Please find enclosed a list of supplies   
for your classes. You will need all of the supplies listed.  
Sixth years will have interactive classes, as well as having the privilege of   
student teaching. If you sign up, you shall co-teach with another student. The   
teacher of your assigned class will leave class plans for you to teach from.   
The Hogwarts Express will leave Platform 9 ¾ at eleven o' clock of September   
first, and arrive at Hogsmeade Station at six thirty. Please be on time. Late   
students must provide themselves a way to go.   
Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress  
The second piece of parchment had all of the school supplies that I would need   
for the year.  
Uniform:  
Three sets of black robes  
Two pointed hats (for feasts)  
One pair of dragonhide gloves  
Two sets of dress robes (for the Yule and Halloween Balls)  
Shoes  
Books:  
Unfogging the Future II   
The Standard Book of Spells Grade III   
Advanced Transfiguration  
Orbs of Fate  
Charms, Curses, and Spells  
Herbology V  
Merlin & Morgan Le Fay: Advanced Lineage   
History of Wizardry  
Protection from the Dark Arts  
Supplies:  
Mugwort (three vials)  
Albanian Bat's Fangs (one scoop)  
Hen's Teeth (five vials)  
Dragon Powder (three scoops)  
Cordamon (one vial)  
Coriandor (one vial)  
Sandalwood (two scoops)  
Musk (three jars)  
Myrrh (one vial)   
Patchouli (one vial)  
I rolled up my letter and looked at Harry. He had just finished reading his   
school note. He raised his eyes to mine, and I asked him,  
"When should we go to Diagon Alley? Maybe tomorrow?"  
"Maybe. We could go today; it's only eight now. That'd be enough time, I think,"   
he replied.  
"Ooh, Diagon Alley," Ria said wistfully, draping her arm over Harry's shoulders   
and leaning on him. He shrugged, making Ria move. She scowled at him, then   
glared daggers at me. I smiled sweetly and leant over the table, kissing Harry   
lightly.  
"I'm going outside," I said once I'd stood up. "See ya' later!"  
I hurried out of the kitchen, feeling Shawn and Ria's glares on the back of my   
head. Smiling, I ran out the front door, hopping down the stairs. My shoes   
thumped against the polished wood of the porch. I tossed my golden hair over my   
shoulder, and looked up at the gorgeously grey sky. It was overcast, just the   
way I liked it.  
The porch swing creaked as a light breeze blew it. I grinned, too happy for   
words. I didn't know why I was so happy. No doubt it had something to do with   
going to Diagon Alley and getting away from my relatives.  
I ran down into the forest, through the clearing and into the darker part of the   
woods where Justicia and Melagh lived. The trees were old, but they were   
friendly, so long as you didn't upset them by threatening to cut them down. They   
didn't like that. As I sat on the ground by Justicia's root, I rummaged through   
my bag, finally extracting a small mirror-like item. I held it in my lap,   
pondering if I wanted to do this. I finally decided that I did, so I took out a   
small scrap of paper, and read it aloud:  
*Green and growing, show me,  
Swift and silent, show me,  
Damp and dingy, show me,  
Deep and shining, show me what I would see.*  
Draco Malfoy!"  
The mirror's surface clouded over, looking like a mist had consumed it. I waited   
anxiously for something to happen. What if the communication spell didn't work?  
Soon, the mirror de-fogged and I stared intently into it. A boy of about my age   
stared back. He had silvery hair, and well-defined cheekbones, but whoever he   
was, he certainly wasn't Draco.  
"Nicole?" the boy asked incredulously.  
"Somnus? Where's Draco? I'm sorry," I apologized, and wondered why.  
"Yes, it's me. Draco's not home right now; he just stepped out. Well, he's home,   
but not here. Would you like for me to get him for you?"  
"Um, uh, yeah. Just don't tell anyone it's me, okay?"  
"Yes, of course," Somnus replied.  
He left, and I saw only blackness. For a few moments, I waited. Finally, I heard   
some voices from far away saying,  
"...yes, a call for you...no, it's not him...I answered it...told me to go get   
you...cousin, stop telling me what to do, I don't want to pick up your   
laundry..."  
Then the blackness faded, and I saw Draco's face. His grey eyes lit up when he   
saw me, but the first thing he said wasn't addressed to me, but to Somnus.  
"Get out," he ordered. I heard Somnus grumbling, before a door slammed shut and   
Draco turned to look at me again.  
"Hi," I greeted. "Why're you telling poor, ikkle Somnus to take your laundry?"  
"Oh, him. Well, he's been here all summer, pestering the living daylights out of   
me. I figured it was time he did some work. How are you? I haven't heard a word   
from you all summer. The Dark Lord is splitting hairs all over the place. Every   
time I see him, he looks ready to spit nails. He's not happy that you've   
deserted. He has all of the adults out hunting for you. My father's in France.   
Voldemort thinks you might've gone there. You're not, are you? Because if you   
are, then I can assure you my father will be able to find you."  
"Of course not," I replied. "In fact, I've not left my house. There's a Fidelius   
Charm on my house, so no one can find it. I'm completely safe."  
"Good. I was worried, nearly frightened 'poor ikkle' Somnus out of his wits, I   
did. One day, I was going mad with worry, and Somnus got in the way of the   
lantern I threw. It hit him in the head, and he had a concussion, pity it wasn't   
lit. Serves him right for interrupting. But, enough about me, what about you?"  
"Me? Oh, nothing much. I'm doing really well, except my cousins and aunt are   
here. Shawn, he's eighteen, keeps trying to set me up with this pervert friend   
of his. I don't care how handsome Mark is, he is not my type. But, Ria's almost   
worst. She keeps trying to--" I paused, trying to think of how not to mention   
Harry. "Well, she's just being really annoying."  
"And, are you still with Harry?"  
"Yes."  
"He's there with you, isn't he?" he asked.  
"Yes," I answered guiltily.  
"Ria was trying to steal him from you, wasn't she?"  
"How did you know about all of that?"  
"Easy, whenever you are trying not to tell me something, you get quieter. If   
you're trying not to talk about Harry, you blush. When you got quiet and   
blushed, I knew about Harry. And, I think I've got a third-cousin who's American   
who knows a Ria. As far-fetched as this may sound, the name 'Ria' just sounds   
like she's a temptress."  
"Oh," I said. "Well, I just wanted to see how you were. You know, I can't have   
you going and getting a girlfriend without my knowledge," I teased.  
He laughed and then became serious. "I couldn't," he whispered, not looking at   
me.  
"Couldn't what?" I asked.  
"I couldn't get a girlfriend. Well, I wouldn't. I could, but I wouldn't."  
"Bye Draco," I said before he could say any more. I tapped the mirror and   
stuffed it into my bag. Then I leaned back against the willow trunk and let   
myself relax.  
"He is a handsome one," Melagh said. "His family is part-veela, part-fae, only   
one-fifth human. Really a good mix, as far as looks go, but they do have quite a   
temper. Very touchy, never ones to insult."  
"Tell me about it," I groaned. "He gets angry very easily, I must say. Oh well.   
Melagh, can you try to track Voldemort? I really need to know where he is."  
"I shall try, keeper," she answered.  
"Thanks."  
Melagh was quiet for about five minutes before she said, "Keeper, I am sorry to   
report that his shields have been permanently installed. There is no way to   
track him. I apologize, sincerely."  
"It's alright Melagh," I said, rubbing my eyes wearily. "I don't think I need   
anyone else tracked. Wait, yes there is. Please find Lucius Malfoy."  
"Of course."  
When Melagh spoke again, she had news. Melagh said that Lucius Malfoy was in   
London. Draco had been misinformed. She also told me that he was hot on my   
trail, though technically he could not break the Protection Spell that was on my   
house. It worried the old oak that Lucius had lied to his son and was quickly   
piecing together my mysterious disappearance. If he found   
something--anything--that said where I was, then I was in deep trouble. Argil   
said that there was nothing to worry about, but I privately disagreed. Salem   
told me that even if he found me, that he could not do anything to me. I   
desperately wanted to believe him, but I wouldn't allow myself to. But the   
willow had the most helpful input. She told me to leave. Just up and leave. Grab   
my bags and head to Diagon Alley.  
I nodded and walked back up to the house. My parents needed to hear my plans.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"G-going to Diagon Alley," my mother stuttered. "Without us."  
"Yeah. I know it's on short notice, but I figure that I'll go with Harry, and   
we'll rent a room at the Leaky Cauldron. It's nothing big, but I've found out a   
couple of things that will help seriously. And, you can come with us, and drop   
us off, but you can't stay with us, because we would attract too much   
attention," I explained.  
"Well, sweetness, we know that your safety is important, but I don't think you   
need to go all the way to London. We could--"  
"Dad, I really have to go to London. Diagon Alley is the safest place. Please? I   
have to have your permission to go. Well, I don't--but still I have to go."  
"Alright, but we're owling Professor Dumbledore, and telling him where you're   
going to be. He'll want to know, no doubt."  
"Okay, Mom. That's fine. Harry's already agreed to come with me, and all I need   
is money for a taxi, unless you want to take me, of course."  
"We'll take you," my dad said. "If it's all we can do. You're positive that we   
can't come?"  
"Yeah, absolutely."  
They nodded and I grinned, trying to fake happiness. Being tracked by Lucius   
Malfoy was not fun at all. I ran downstairs from my parent's bedroom, and into   
my room. Harry was lying on my bed, asleep. It was early in the morning, and he   
was tired? Ook, what was he thinking.   
I smiled, despite my dislike of not having him to talk with. He slept soundly,   
that was for sure. His eyes were closed, and I noticed that he had forgotten to   
take off his glasses. I walked over to him and removed them, setting them gently   
on the bedside table. As he slept, I surveyed him. His hair was a mess of black   
tangles. His clothes were wrinkled, no matter how much my mother had tried to   
iron them. Harry's chest rose and fell as he breathed softly. He was relaxed,   
and I could not remember the last time I had seen him in such a peaceful state.  
As I stood up from the bed, I saw that Harry had a note clutched in his hand. I   
gently pried his fingers from the parchment and looked at it. It was a letter.  
Harry,  
It's good to hear from you again. But your news is not as good, I'm afraid. Your   
girlfriend, she sounds like someone your parents would be proud of. She sounds   
like Lily, to be honest. Not in appearance of course, but her actions. She seems   
noble and genuinely caring. I must say that men in your family have very good   
taste in women, but that's not what I'm writing this letter about.  
The vision you told me about sounds bad. I don't want to scare you, but your   
girlfriend seems to be a real seer. She was kidnapped by Voldemort because of   
her gifts, and I believe that he is still after her. Though I hate to say it, I   
think that you might need to go back to Hogwarts for the rest of the summer.   
There have been some odd goings-on, and I'll wager that they are all connected   
in some way to Voldemort. There have been thefts of very dangerous dark items.   
In the Museum of Witchcraft, three things were stolen: a rod of Blackness, the   
cup of Leandre, a sword of Binoctium, and the pentacle of Lamia. They are all   
very powerful dark implements that are only used in Dark spells of the worst   
sort. Be careful Harry.  
Sirius  
"Sirius..." I whispered. "Sirius? What's this about?"  
Harry rolled over, peaceful as ever. He did not know the tidal wave of confusion   
that would soon ensue.  
I looked down at the figure of my sleeping boyfriend. He was handsome, not   
heart-stopping gorgeous, but definitely cute. Without his glasses, he looked   
older, though lately he seemed strained and tense, too much for his age. I   
supposed that when you had been through as much as Harry had, then there was   
cause for quick aging. I desperately wanted to take whatever burden Harry had,   
and carry it myself, but I had problems of my own, as well. How could I be   
responsible for his worries and mine at the same time? How I managed now even   
surprised and confused me. It was, I guessed, a live-or-die natural instinct   
that kicked in whenever you were pressured. I had tried to keep my worries from   
Harry, or course, but he knew me too well. Anyone but him I could have fooled   
with my act of nonchalant coolness, but this was Harry. Harry, who always knew   
when I was sad; Harry who always tried his best to take my burden from me, and   
carry it on his young shoulders. It was Harry, and only Harry, who could find   
any bit of sadness I felt.  
He rolled over again, a small content noise issuing from his lips. I grinned   
meekly, sweeping my concerns under the rug. Whatever lay ahead, and I knew that   
there would be much, I could get through. I had to. There was no choice; I had   
to.  
Harry woke up, some time later. I still had not moved from my spot beside the   
bed. As his eyes flickered open, immediately spotting me, I could see the   
at-ease look in his eyes. Those eyes, they were the things that had brought me   
to him. Those eyes, like emeralds, sparkling in the great depths of an ocean had   
enchanted me, capturing me in their deep green pool of emotion. I did not know   
why he stayed with me. I was pretty, but no great beauty, despite the instant   
attraction of almost every male in the school populace. Most likely, even though   
I did not realize it at the time, my sparkling azure eyes were what attracted   
every guy to me. I was attracted to Harry, for the same reasons he was attracted   
to me.  
"Hi," I finally whispered, after five minutes of silently staring at Harry's   
face.  
"Hi, yourself," he replied.  
"What's this?" I held up the letter.  
"I don't know, what is it?"  
"It's a letter, for you. From...Sirius. Who's he?"  
"What!? Give me that!" He hopped up and grabbed at it. I stepped back, and he   
cornered me against the wall. Harry placed one hand on my hip, and the other, he   
used to steal back his letter. He stepped back from me, sitting on the bed and   
tucking the letter into his pocket.  
"Who is Sirius, Harry?" I asked slowly.  
"No one."  
"He must be someone, if you're getting letters from him," I responded.  
"He's not someone you need to know about," Harry told me. "It's none of your   
business."  
"None of my business? Harry, if I might inform you, everything and anything that   
involves you is my business. Strictly so, in fact."  
"No, that's not true. I'll tell you when it's important that you know. For the   
time being however, I don't see that you have to know about him. Sirius wouldn't   
approve."  
"Sirius can go to the devil! Now tell me who he is!"  
"He's just this guy."  
"This guy, it seems, know a lot about me and you. Who is he?" I was determined   
to pester him until he told me.  
"He is--was--a friend of my parents. That's all I'll tell you. For now. It's   
really not that important," he said.  
"Do Ron and Hermione know who Sirius is?" I pressed.  
"Erm...yes."  
"Then why can't I?"  
"Because they helped me save him, you didn't. They only know by necessity.   
Nicky, please don't make me tell you."  
"No way am I letting you get away with this secret. Tell me, Harry. If it's a   
secret, then I'll keep it. I promise." I hoped that my pledge would soften him.  
"You'll be in danger if you know," he informed me.  
"I'm in danger now, nothing you tell me will increase my odds of death."  
"Alright, fine. Sirius Black is my godfather."  
"Sirius Black?! What--"  
"Let me explain. He's not a murderer. He didn't betray my parents to Voldemort,   
and he didn't kill Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew framed Sirius. It was a big ruse.   
Sirius was in Azkaban for twelve years, until my third year, when he figured out   
that Ron's rat, Scabbers, was Peter. Sirius escaped, not to come after me, but   
to go after Pettigrew. He was at Hogwarts all year during my third year, and   
Hermione's cat Crookshanks helped Sirius try to catch Peter."  
"What?" I asked, my scepticism showing clearly in my voice.  
"It's all true. Believe me. I was there when Sirius caught Peter, but Wormtail,   
that's Peter, got away," Harry explained.  
"...Oh my god," I muttered, "oh...my...god..."  
"It's okay, Nicky. Just relax. Do you understand what I said?"  
I nodded mutely, sitting beside Harry on the bed. I felt like my mouth was glued   
shut. Sirius Black, the famous murderer, was Harry's godfather. I had heard of   
Black in America, when he'd escaped. Even the Americans were warned of the   
supposed convict. How could all that Harry had said be true? It would have been   
a conspiracy for the Ministry. They had to have covered it up.  
"Okay, Harry," I said after I had finally digested the information. "Okay, I   
believe you. Squee, that was exhausting."  
"Squee?" Harry asked, curiously.  
"Squee, it's my word. It means 'fun', or 'whew' or 'nice'. It all really depends   
on the context that it's used in."  
"Oh, right."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"So we're all packed?" I asked Harry as we surveyed the wreckage in my room.  
"Er, I guess so. What time are we leaving again?"  
"In twenty minutes: that'll be eleven thirty-five. Let's get this junk outside."   
He nodded, and we began to lug my school trunk down to the car. The car's trunk   
was open, and Harry lifted my school chest into the back. I dusted my hands off,   
and trudged wearily back to the house. Once Harry and I were inside, we began   
trying to heave his chest out there.  
Soon, we had our trunks in the car, and were all set to go to London. Shawn had   
been very angry that Harry and I were leaving for Diagon Alley. He had protested   
and complained, but I had waved his insults and comments away, ignoring him   
whole-heartedly. Ria had been adamant that there was no way Harry could leave   
without her. He had concluded, however, that not saying goodbye to her would end   
her ostentatious flirting. I had been extremely excited at the prospect of   
staying with Harry at the Leaky Cauldron, though Ria and Shawn were both furious   
at the mere mention of it. This only made me more inclined to gloat, of course.  
I headed down to the car, followed by Harry, and proceeded by my parents. They   
exchanged nervous glances as we walked, and I felt a pang of regret as I hopped   
in the car.  
Leaving my parents for almost two weeks. Was it the right choice? I asked   
myself.  
Of course. Draco, the little fox, was right. His father would find you here,   
though I'm not entirely sure if you'll be better off in Diagon Alley. I believe   
you made the right choice, dear kitten, but I am just a conscience. What am I to   
know?  
Nothing, of course. You know--  
Well obviously not, my conscience quipped, you just said I didn't know anything.  
Oh, yeah. Well, I think I'll be better off if I get away from here for a little   
while. What with Shawn trying to sell me off to his friends and Ria snogging   
Harry, I haven't gotten any peace of mind. I should enjoy two weeks off.   
We were soon stopping in front of the dingy looking pub, with a sign hanging   
over the entryway saying 'The Leaky Cauldron'. I grinned happily to myself,   
before jumping out of the car and trotting inside with Harry. My father parked   
the car, and came inside with my mother.  
I walked up to the bar, where a wizened old man stood serving drinks. Standing   
up tall, I asked,  
"Do you have a room free?"  
"With two beds," my father added warningly.  
"No, indeed," he answered. "But, I have a room with one king-size bed." He   
winked at me, and I grinned, shooting a glance at Harry, who returned my look   
with a smile.  
"We'll take it," I said, beaming at my parents, who were looking as if they had   
just swallowed some skele-gro.  
"Very well, then. Here's the key. Its room fourteen, but it's a suite, with a   
kitchen and living room. Free of charge, for you missy, and Mr. Potter. I shall   
go bring your things inside. If you'll please show me where they are?" he   
directed at my parents. My mother nodded sourly and began to stride out the   
door.  
As soon as my parents were out the door, Harry and I burst out laughing. We   
received some very wary eyes from a couple of old men by the door, but the rest   
of the crowd seemed refreshed to have two lively, young teenagers in their   
midst. An old woman approached us, grinning idly.  
"Good day to you, Miss Stevens. I trust you don't know me, but I know you.   
Arabella Figg, is my name," she greeted.  
"Mrs. Figg?" Harry asked, his voice full of amazement.  
"Yes, laddie. From down the street. Number one Privet Drive. Wonderful to see   
ya' again. 'Ow've you been 'olding up? Those Dursleys keepin' ya' well?"  
"Reasonably," he answered, still mildly shocked. He obviously knew the woman.   
"So, you're a witch?" he asked.  
"To be sure, I am. Went to 'Ogwarts myself. Very lovely down there. I must be   
goin' now, dearies. Lots ta' do, seein' as I'm on the Order. But you won't know   
of that. I spose Dumbledore'll tell ya' when 'e sees fit. Good day, to ya' now,"   
and with that, she disappeared as if by magic. Oh wait, it was magic.  
"Well, that was...odd," Harry said after a moment.  
"Not really," I replied. "People pop in and out of places all the time. Quiet   
natural really."  
"Yeah, right. Want to go see the room?"  
"Yeah, let's."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"This is too good to be true," I said once Harry had pushed open the door of our   
suite.  
"I know," he answered in the same tone.  
"Let's see how big it is."  
We walked throughout the entire place. There was one HUGE bedroom with a   
king-size bed, covered in blue silk covers, a grand bathroom, with one hot-tub   
bathtub, and more faucets that I could count, a kitchen that was a chef's dream,   
a living room equipped with a major magical radio, and a giant closet that could   
have held five Hagrids.  
I flopped back on the bed, with the radio's remote control in my hand. I pressed   
the on button, and was nearly blasted away by the noise (there was a radio in   
the bedroom too). The song was one of my favourites: Alexa Starlight, Not Really   
Here. I jammed to the song, only turning it down a couple of notches.  
I'm not really here,  
Not a thing is happening in this town,  
I'm not really here,  
I don't see why I'm stayin'  
I'm not here because of you,  
Don't flatter yourself with that high opinion,  
I'm not here because of anybody,  
I'm not really here...  
I'm not really here,  
I promise you that,  
I'm really somewhere else,  
I'm not really here...  
How do you see me,   
If I'm not really here,  
How do you talk to me,   
If I'm not really here...  
The song ended, to be replaced by a newer Alexa Starlight song. It must have   
been her half hour. She was very popular nowadays. In fact, she was playing   
concerts all around the globe, which I really wanted to go to, but could not.  
"Squee, I love that song," I sighed wistfully. Seeing Alexa Starlight in concert   
would be wonderful, but it would never happen.  
"Not a bad song, actually," Harry said as he came into the bedroom.  
"I know. I love it."  
"It's a wonderful song, I'll grant you that."  
Five minutes later, we heard a loud thumping coming from the stairs. I dashed   
out to see what it was, only to be confronted by two extremely cross looking   
parents, and one grinning innkeeper. My mother and father held my trunk between   
them, and the innkeeper, Tom, was carrying Harry's chest.  
"That is the last time we agree to help carry in your luggage, Nicole," my   
mother said exhaustedly.  
"'K, that's fine by me," I happily pranced into the bedroom, instructing for   
them to set the trunks at the foot of the bed.  
"Bye," Harry and I waved goodbye to my parents as they drove away.  
We walked back inside, just as I realized something amazing.  
"Harry!" I exclaimed. "It's our anniversary! The day we first met. How amazing   
is that?"  
"You just remembered that?" Harry asked, surprised.  
"Uh, yeah. I did. Sorry," I blushed embarrassedly.  
"Come on, I've got some money. We're going to go have some ice cream."  
"Okay."  
We walked outside into the little courtyard that separated the pub from Diagon   
Alley. Harry pulled out his wand and tapped the bricks. There was a scraping   
sound, as the bricks moved, to reveal an archway leading into a lane of wizard   
shops. Harry grabbed my hand and dragged me through, leading me to a shop called   
'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.'  
"Harry," I reddened, "this is where..."  
"We met," he finished for me, "I know. That's why I brought you here."  
"You're so romantic," I said, going even redder.  
"I know."  
He took me over to a table, he same we had sat at exactly one year ago, and   
pulled out my chair. I sat down, and said,  
"I was right when I said chivalry hadn't died after all."  
"I know that too," Harry replied, sitting across from me. When the waiter came,   
I called up my memory of the day we had met.  
"I'd like a Snapping Strawberry Sundae."  
"And I'd like a Banana Firecracker Split," Harry said politely to the waiter. We   
had both ordered exactly the same thing as before.  
"Coming right up, Mr. Potter."  
"Potter?" a voice came from the table behind me.  
I turned in my chair, looking at the man behind us. He had brown hair, and warm   
cinnamon eyes. His robes were slightly old looking, and he had sewn the hem   
several times, I noticed.  
"Professor Lupin!" Harry called happily.  
The man stood up and made his way to the table. He looked at me with interest,   
and asked,  
"Harry, if you would please introduce me to your lovely friend?"  
"Girlfriend, actually," Harry corrected. "Nicole, meet Remus Lupin. He was the   
DADA professor in my third year, and a good friend of my parents. Professor--"  
"Remus, if you'd please, Harry."  
"Okay, Remus. Well, Remus meet Nicole Stevens, my girlfriend."  
"Hello, Nicole. Pleased to meet you," he shook my hand warmly.  
"It's my pleasure," I answered. "Do you want to sit down?"  
"Oh, no. I'd never interrupt."  
"It's all right, really," I said.  
"If you insist," Remus accepted, sitting in the chair on my left, in-between   
Harry and me.  
"So what are you doing here?" Harry asked. "The last I heard of you,   
Si--Snuffles said that you were doing work for Dumbledore."  
"I am now too, in a more literal and acknowledgeable sense. I'm to be your   
Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher again."  
"Really? That's great!"  
"Possibly, though I am a bit worried. It was a close shave last time. I hate to   
put any of you in danger again. It would weigh very heavily on my conscience."  
"Well, you're lucky your conscience doesn't chastise you for every little   
character flaw," I put in.  
"Ah, you must have an overactive conscience," Remus said jokingly. "Not many of   
those around. Keep it; you never know when it will come in handy."  
"Don't worry, I tried to scare it away, but it wouldn't go."  
Both of them laughed at this. I giggled a bit at my own joke, before becoming   
slightly more serious and asking,*.*  
"So, Remus, or should I call you Professor Lupin?"  
"Remus will be fine. In fact, I think Albus would prefer if you were on a first   
name basis with all of us...the members that is. You won't know about that yet,   
but I have a feeling you will find out soon enough."  
"Huh? That's the second time today someone's said that. This is getting weird,"   
I complained.  
"I agree," Remus concurred. "Though, I do truly believe that Albus will tell you   
when the time comes. I must be going now, no really Harry. I shall see you soon;   
I am sure, as I am staying at the Leaky Cauldron, too. Room seventeen. Goodbye."   
Remus waved goodbye to us as he walked away. I sat for a few moments in puzzled   
silence, before the thing that had been nagging at me the most finally popped   
out.  
"Harry, why is it that everyone seems to know something we don't?"  
"Because they all do," he replied, a wide smile on his face.  
"Oh, all right. Let them keep their secrets. If they all speak truly, then we'll   
learn what it's all about soon. Good thing too, I'm about to burst from all   
these well-kept secrets."  
We ate, scarcely talking, because of our brain freezes. I had challenged Harry   
to an ice-cream eating contest, and he had won by about six bites, this meant,   
however, that he had a horrific brain-freeze, and could not talk, except to   
whimper piteously. I couldn't help but laugh when he finally managed to speak.   
The first thing he said was,  
"I am going to get you back for that."  
"Oh really?" I asked, laughing.  
"Yes! That was unfair. You knew I'd win, but that I'd give myself a headache   
when I did."  
"You're right. I did know all of that, but I guessed that you could forgive me,   
as I gave myself a headache, too."  
"All right."  
Read? Review!  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
A/N: Let's see. Here's my thankies.  
Thankies to all the mods. They're all really great at their jobs, and I wish I   
were as responsible as them! Well, I could be, but I'm not usually. Mods, all I   
can say to you is, ROCK ON!!!   
Catalina, thankies just for commenting. I'm glad to have your input.  
Trillian Black, my wondrous beta, thankies for being there to help me. How was   
holiday?  
BigFanofAquilis/Jessie Evans, thankies thankies thankies!!! Hope you liked it!!!  
Legendary Unknown, squee. It's just such a nice word, huh? I like it a lot. My   
friends all say it now too. Thankies!  
Kara Kedavra, thankies again. I think you're cool. Tell David and Alicia hi for   
me, and tell David I'll slap him for you.   
Mione Potter, hiya! Hope you like!  
Lisse Granger, lalalalala....thankies!  
Everybody else, thankies to you too! I sincerely hope everyone likes this,   
because so far none of this has been submitted, and I'm just thankie-ing   
everybody who reviewed my last book.  
Going Postal! Homework is horrid. I hate it. Too bad for me, huh?  
Peace, Love, and all the guys! Draco, Harry, Ron, all of 'em.   
Soda Pop and Lemon Drops!  
Previous Chapter Back to Author Page Next Chapter 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (05)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole daemon hehe Draco ?  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust, The Golden Compass (  
Summary: Nicole Stevens is normal, mostly. She just has wierd dreams. What?!?!  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own the book 'The Golden Compass'. I borrowed names from there. I claim no right to them. Any spells in '...' are copyrghted by Patricia C. Wrede, and I claim no right to them.  
Author notes: Go girl! Go!!! Grr!!! Smily. Thanks to my beta, Tril, my bestest online friends, Kim and Kara, and my friends at home here in Loserville USA.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Five: Secrets and Spells, Harry Unlocks the Truth   
"I'm so tired," I said at two o' clock in the morning. Harry looked over at me from the couch in the living room, with a questioning look.  
"Really? I'm not tired at all. All we did today was come to Diagon Alley and have ice cream. How tiring is that?"  
"Well, that all depends on whether or not I take a three hour nap in the afternoon," I said through my teeth. "If I might remind you, you slept for three hours today. I didn't. Now, do I have reason to be tired?"  
"I guess," Harry answered with a nod.  
"Argh, boys. Don't understand me at all. I'm going to take a hot bubble-bath, and you can just sit here doing whatever sixteen year old boys do."  
"If I really wanted to act like a sixteen year old boy, then I'd go take a peek at you while you took a bath, but I won't because I think that that look you're giving me means that you'd kill me if I did."  
"Oh, good eye, Harry. If you dare try anything like that, I swear I'll kick you out," I threatened.  
"All right, all right."  
I walked into the bathroom, tossing my clothes onto the floor. I turned the hot water on, as well as several other knobs that dripped foam and bubbles into the water. The hot-tub bath was huge; eight feet by five feet, it could have easily accommodated two or more people. The tub was soon full, and I stepped in, the water coming knee-high. I sat in the tub, stretching out and relaxing as best I could. I saw a small vial of honey-coloured liquid. Pulling out the cork, I waved it underneath my nose, inhaling deeply. It smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. I poured a couple of drops into the steaming bath water, and unwound.  
The smell in the bathroom was one of cinnamon and vanilla. There was also a hint of lavender, and only the tiniest bit of rosemary. It could have been a perfume shop, with the eccentric scents that drifted throughout the room. I felt more at-ease than I had in days. The tension drained out of me, allowing a comfortable rested feeling.  
To my surprise, after half an hour, the water was still exceedingly warm, and bubbly; no less than it had been when I had just filled up the tub. The explanation, of course, was that the tub had been magicked so that the water would not lose its heat, and the bubbles would not pop. I sighed contentedly. Surely this was what everyone wanted, relaxation, a long hot bath, and a chance to feel fresh. Yes, it was definitely what I wanted.  
After however long I sat there, relaxing, there was a knock at the bathroom door.  
"What do you want?" I asked, not opening my eyes.  
"To come in," Harry replied.  
"Too bad."  
"How come?"  
"Because you can't come in," I said.  
"Yes I can," he retorted, opening the door and stepping inside.  
"Get out!" I screeched, trying to cover myself with bubbles, which was unnecessary, as they were so thick already. He came in and sat on the floor beside the tub. I shot a sharp glance at him, but he only shrugged and looked at the floor.  
"I just wanted to come in here, because I got lonely," he said quietly.  
"Okay, I suppose you can stay. But, don't get any ideas, because if you do--just don't, alright?"  
"Fine by me."  
"Turn on the radio," I ordered him.  
"Why?"  
"I want it on," I explained.  
"No, you misunderstood. Why should I go turn it on?"  
"Because I told you to. Please Harry?"  
"Get out of the bath and we can go listen out there."  
"Fair all right, I was already planning to," he answered, walking out the door.  
I drained the bath water and toweled off. I wrapped the towel around my chest like a toga, then walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Harry was lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I frowned and grabbed some pyjamas from my chest, before going back into the bathroom to change.  
Once I had changed into my burgundy satin nightgown, I walked quickly bay into the bedroom. Harry had not moved. I went to the left side of the bed and sat, flipping the on switch to the radio as I went. Harry looked up only briefly, before returning his gaze to the ceiling. I glanced at him, asking,  
"Harry, are you all right?"  
"Not really," he answered, deadpanned.  
"What's wrong?"  
"Lupin."  
"What happened?"  
"Sirius...has been captured. By dementors. Lupin says that they're going to take him to Voldemort."  
"Remus must be misinformed," I ventured.  
"He's not. I got an owl from Dumbledore," he said in the same monotonous tone.  
"Well then, what are we going to do about it?"  
"And why not?" I inquired.  
"Because Sirius is only a bargaining chip. If we try to get him back, then we'll only make it worse. Dumbledore says that Voldemort is after you and me. We'll try to get him back, but not us specifically. Dumbledore will arrange it."  
"Oh..."  
"I'm going to sleep now."  
"All right."  
Twenty minutes later, I looked over at Harry. His eyes were closed, but I could tell from his breathing that he was not asleep.  
"Harry?" I whispered.  
"Yes?"  
"I love you, and we'll get through this," I reassured him. "We always make it out okay, and we always will."  
"I sure hope so."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
Finally giving up on the miracle of sleep, I stood and groped blindly through the black darkness, not thinking to light a lantern. I stumbled over Harry's trunk, cursing myself mentally for telling the innkeeper to put it there. I did not dare to swear aloud, for fear of waking Harry, who had floated off to the oasis of dreamland many hours before. I silently prayed that Harry's dreams were filled with happy things, to replace the sombre reality that he faced each day.  
Tripping out the door, I crawled down the hall, not trusting myself to stand, for fear of knocking something valuable over. I made it to the door leading out into the hall, where the other rooms' doors were. I thought of Remus, who had said that his room was number--what was it? Oh, yeah, room seventeen.  
I stepped out into the better-lit hall, and walked determinedly to the door with two gold numbers '17'. Nodding to myself, I rapped three times on the door. I waited for a minute before there was a scraping of locks and I was suddenly bathed in a milky light, looking up into Remus' face. He seemed depressed, and his pupils were slightly dilated.  
"Hello, Nicole. Do you want something?"  
I shivered and crossed my arms over my chest, "Um, yeah. I need to talk with you. About Harry."  
"Oh, of course, come in. I'll make a cup of tea for you." He stepped back from the doorway, and I walked into the entrance hall of his suite.  
"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't drink tea."  
"Well, I have some vodka, but I doubt seriously that you drink that either."  
"I've considered starting," I replied seriously.  
"Well, let's go for the happy medium. Will vanilla coffee be all right? If you insist that it be spiked, I suppose..."  
"Nah, regular vanilla coffee will be fine. Is there any place comfortable enough to talk? I have a feeling that we'll be here for a while," I said.  
"Yes. In the living room, there's an armchair that you may sit in," he informed me.  
"Thanks." I went inside and sat in the armchair. It was a golden-brown colour, and soft. I waited for a while, as Lupin made me a cup of vanilla coffee. Soon, he emerged from the small kitchen, carrying two steaming cups. One, he set on the coffee (how ironic) table next to me, and the other, he took with him to the chair across from me.  
I help my cup in my hands, letting my skin soak up its warmth. Curling up with my feet on the chair, I began to explain why I was there.  
"Well, when I got out of the bath, he was lying on the bed, and when I asked him what was wrong, he said that you had told him that Sirius had been captured by dementors to be taken to Voldemort. Then he went on to say Sirius was just a bargaining chip, for Voldemort to barter with. He wouldn't tell me much more. Is it all true?"  
"I assume that Harry has told you all about Sirius and me."  
"You know him?" I wondered aloud.  
"I assumed wrong, apparently. Well, you see, at school, Sirius and I were close friends. We hung out with James and Lily, Harry's parents. This has been harder for Harry to handle, because he doesn't have experience in the prisoner exchange business. I, on the other hand, have worked extensively in that area. I have heard that you dealt with Voldemort's Death Eaters, and even Voldemort himself. Am I correct?"  
"Well, yeah. I was kidnapped last year by Lucius Malfoy and forced to become a Death Eater. I used it as an escape option. Being second in command is helpful when you're trying to get yourself and another person out alive. I don't see what that has to do with any of this, though."  
"Okay. Let me explain. You know more strategies when it comes to trading. You know how to deal with lives. When you hear the word hostage, your mind switches to autopilot, telling you the best possibilities to get them out alive. Harry works completely differently. His brain tells him the best ways he could get the person out of danger. You two are very different; you're the strategist and communicator, he's the hero. Now--"  
"Ow!" I looked down at my left arm, startled. The Mark had burnt, stinging me.  
"What is it?"  
"The Mark; it burnt."  
"What?!"  
"It's not big deal, it's happened a couple of other times."  
"It is a big deal! Let me see it," he set his cup on the floor, and I followed his example. He took my wrist and pulled my arm out, so he could scrutinize the Mark.  
After a few minutes, he whispered,  
"This is not good."  
"Huh?"  
"Something bad. We have to get you out of here. Stay in this room, I'll go get Harry. We're going. I'll come with you two by Floo Powder."  
"No way. I'm not leaving. I've got a perfectly good suite--"  
"We have to leave. I wish we could disapparate, but--"  
"I can disapparate, but Harry can't. Hold on a sec! I know a transportation spell that's really easy to use. Get Harry and come back here. But, what about our stuff?"  
"Come with me to your room, and you can get whatever is vital, and we'll have Tom get the rest. He'll get you the books you need and everything. Now come ON!"  
"Okay, okay!" He ran out the door, and I followed hurriedly after him. I pelted through the door to our suite, nearly running into Remus, who was leaning against the wall, panting. He waved me ahead, and I hurried into the bedroom. Harry was sitting straight up in bed, no doubt woken by the commotion from our bursting through the door.  
"What's going on?" he asked when he saw me.  
"Remus says it's something bad. He's in the hall. We have to grab everything that's the most important, and I'll do a transportation spell to get us out of here. This is too important not to do. We just up and ran out the door. Come on, Harry. Grab anything you need: your wand, a couple of shirts. I'm SERIOUS!!!"  
"Okay!" He hopped up and grabbed his wand and a shirt. He cleverly pulled the second shirt over his nightshirt, and put some trousers over his pyjamas. I followed his example and shoved a skirt and shirt on top of my nightclothes. I grasped my wand and threw it in my shoulder-strap bag. Then I thrust a silver ring on my middle finger. Lastly, I took out the communication mirror and stuck it in Harry's pocket. He didn't have time to question what it was.  
Remus darted through the bedroom door, commanding quickly,  
"Do the spell! Now! They're here!"  
"Ack! Grab my hand!" I ordered them. They did as I said.  
"*Convey this crowd,  
On wind and cloud,  
To the castle of the king,  
By the power of this ring.*  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" I called out.  
I heard shouts as the room was enveloped in a cloud of mist. The fog lasted for a minute, before I suddenly fell forward onto hard ground. I rubbed my head, feeling a lump rising. Looking to my right, I saw Remus sitting up, wearing a bemused expression. On my right, an unconscious Harry was lying on the dirt, a small trickle of red blood dripping down his forehead and onto the moist soil. I sat up, licking my lower-lip, from which small drops of blood were dripping. Remus glanced at me, and said,  
"I don't think that transportation spell worked correctly."  
"No, really?" I asked satirically. "I think...something went wrong. back shock, most likely: too many curses being thrown at us, or something. I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Remus. No, I don't think we're even at Hogwarts. And we're certainly not at the Leaky Cauldron. But, if we're not in any of those places, then where are we?"  
"I don't know for certain. A forest of some kind, it would seem."  
"No duh, Sherlock," I spat bitterly. Remus didn't take notice of my sullenness, but to tell me that I should check over Harry.  
I cradled Harry's head in my lap, wiping his cut with one of Remus' handkerchiefs. I held the tissue to his cut, to stem the blood flow. Soon, it slowed to a mere drop. I wished, however, that the weather would be as predictable.  
As soon as the blood stopped flowing, the rain began pouring. It pounded down on our unsheltered heads, though Harry did not notice in his current unconscious state. The trees around us provided only mediocre shelter, hardly lessening the heavy downpour. I dragged Harry over to a tree's roots, with the help of Remus. The tree was an old oak, towering high above us. I sat in the relative quiet, the only sound the pounding rain, whose noise was decreased under the tree, thinking. What could I do? Could I call Draco? No, that would be stupid. His father might answer the mirror. Maybe I could try to disaparrate, but it was summer, no magic could be used. Possibly, I could--no that wouldn't work. I turned down idea after idea, cursing my ineptness, and being chastised by Remus for my creative use of language.  
"Hold on a minute, Lupin. I'm going to try something. Just let me be quiet for a while."  
Justicia? I asked mentally.  
Keeper, how nice of you to think of us. Please tell me what you need.  
Justicia, could you get Melagh to trace me? I need to know where I am.  
You're lost, dear keeper. I see. I shall get Melagh to trace you.  
Thank you. There were several minutes of remote quiet, before I heard Justicia's voice in my head.  
You are in a forest-type area in Russia. Somewhere near mountains. And a school is near you; Durmstrang, I believe it is. The forest isn't natural, but made expressly for the school. Anything else?  
Not now, I answered.  
Good bye.  
Bye.  
"Remus, we're in Russia. Somewhere near a school named Durmstrang," I told him.  
"How do you know that?"  
"Just trust me," I answered.  
"All right. So, we'll have to get Harry there, though I hate to. Durmstrang! Who would've thought?"  
"What's so odd about Durmstrang? Besides the fact that it's in Russia, of course."  
"Durmstrang has a bad reputation for being very Dark Arts oriented, but it's the only choice we have. Let's go. I'll levitate Harry to the school, but--my wand is broken. I can't use it."  
"Okay, so you'll use my wand," I said, handing it to him.  
"If I must," he said, taking my wand from me. Standing up, he murmured,  
"Mobilicorpus!"  
Harry levitated to about waist-height, and I nodded in satisfaction. At least my wand had been less temperamental; usually I was the only one who could use it. So, with Harry floating three feet off the ground, we set out in the pouring rain with Durmstrang as our destination.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
Knock, knock, knock! The door; someone was knocking. I rolled out of bed, toppling onto the floor, and waking the man in the bed. He sat straight up, staring around at the room confusedly. The silvery moonlight shone in through the high window, and onto the bed, bathing the young man in a milky glow.   
His hair was as silver as the glittering moonlight. His eyes, deeper than oceans, were silvery-black, looking onyx-coloured in the darkness. The teenage--he was teenaged, I noticed--boy looked like an angel fallen from heaven. His pale chest seemed to have an unearthly glow settled about it, and the black bed-sheets contrasted with his silvery appearance. The boy's eyes turned to me, surveying me in a heap on the floor. He suddenly burst out laughing, his laughter echoing all around the stone bedroom. I smiled at his mirth, despite the fact that I ached all over.  
When his fit of laughter subsided, I finally picked myself up and dusted my nightclothes off. He was still examining me with boyish delight. I shot a glance at him, which he returned with a small chuckle. Wondering what trick he had played on me now, I turned to him and asked in a quiet voice that reverberated throughout the room,  
"What's so funny? I don't like to be the butt of your jokes. You always make me feel like I'm stupid. Tell me right now what you did to me, or I'll...come and beat you up!"  
"That is an empty threat," he told me, still sniggering. "But the only thing I was laughing at was the fact that you actually thought someone was knocking at the door. I was tapping the bedpost--I guess I should have warned you, or something." No longer able to contain his amusement, he grinned widely. "But I thought it would be funnier if you fell out of bed before I told you it was me."  
"Oh, you're impossible!" I said, thumping him hard on the arm.  
"I know; that's why you love me."  
"I suppose so."  
Knock, knock, knock!  
"Draco, stop knocking on the bedpost, I know it's you."  
"What?"  
"Girl! Wake up, you've got to wake up! Your companions are already awake!  
"Huh? Whassup, I'm suppose ta' get up now? No way."  
"Wake, I tell you. Your companions are already finished dressing!"  
"Eh?" I sat up from the lumpy bed I was lying on, and stared up into the face of a man, not much older than me. "Who're you again?" I queried.  
"Viktor Krum! I am Professor Krum. Now, get up! Rebus, or Remus, whatever his name is, told me to get you up! Now, do it!"  
"Oh, bother," I said, resorting to British phrases to keep myself from cursing. "I'm up. Where're my clothes?"  
"There are some over there," he said, gesturing over in the corner of the small bedroom. "Get changed, Potter will come to get you."  
"Yeah, yeah. I know."  
I stomped over to the corner of the room and grabbed my fresh clothes. Krum headed out the door as I changed. The clothes he had brought me were, by no means, nice. They were not rough-textured, but they had a musty smell; and they were RED. I hated red a lot. It was not a good colour on me, but I only scowled and slipped the heavy red dress on. It was off-the shoulder, and I shivered in the cold room. Dresses, what in the world were these people thinking? Teenage girls never wore dresses, only skirts and pants, and shorts. Never dresses. NEVER!  
There was a knock on the door, and Harry stepped in, looking less frazzled than yesterday, the day he had been unconscious.  
Once we had gotten out of the forest, the Durmstrang castle was only a few hundred meters away. We had trudged up the muddy slope, falling only occasionally. Remus had seemed wary and uncertain. Apparently, mud and unknown places bugged him. He had been sharp, as we arrived in the pouring rain, that I was not to disclose any, ANY, information about ANY of us, and IF I did, I would DIE. So, I had kept my mouth clamped shut and let Lupin do all the talking. How he had managed it, I would never know; whether he had chatted up the woman at the castle entrance, or whether Krum's recognition of Harry, I did not know, but suddenly we were walking through the large black doors into a small castle.  
Harry came over to stand beside me. He was dressed in blood red robes, with fur on the cuffs. He looked grotesquely violent in red, which I was quick to point out.  
"Harry, red is an awful colour on you. It's worse on you than on ME, and that's saying something. Wouldn't they let you have something--oh, I dunno'--GREEN?"  
"No, they didn't have anything green. I know red looks more than a tad bit bad on me, and please leave me alone about my attire. I hate it, and, mind you, I don't think you look just peachy in red, yourself," he spat. I smirked, allowing his scorn to stand.  
"Well, I was just saying that they don't have a good clothes selection. But, Remus will be unhappy if we don't get ourselves down to breakfast, or whatever we're supposed to be doing. Does that Krum guy know you or something? He seemed a bit--odd."  
"Yeah, that's Viktor Krum. Hermione dated him in fourth year. He asked me how Hermione was, and when I couldn't tell him, he seemed upset. Oh well. All I want is to know what happened the other night. No-one's explained it to me, yet."  
"Oh, I don't know if Lupin wants you to know," I said, covering up my secret; the Dark Mark. "I promise to tell you later, but I can't now. Don't go bugging Remus; he's got enough on his plate as it is. But, I PROMISE that I'll tell you later," I told him.  
"Fine," sulked Harry, "but I want to know now."  
"Too bad. I'm not going to tell you now."  
"What's that?" Harry asked, pointing at my left arm. My eyes widened and I clapped my hand over the Mark. Harry was too quick for me, though. He grabbed my forearm and dragged my hand off of it. When he saw the Mark, Harry dropped my arm and stumbled back. He was looking like I was a vicious snake, posed to strike.  
"WH-WHAT IS THAT?" he yelled.  
"It's nothing. Just a...nothing."  
"That's the Dark Mark!" he cried. "You're a Death Eater? How could you not tell me?"  
"Harry, I was afraid. I didn't think you'd--"  
"Understand? Well, you're spot on, I don't understand it! You will tell me RIGHT THIS SECOND what that is and HOW it got there!"  
"It's the Dark Mark," I whispered. "I had to pretend I was a Death Eater, otherwise we'd never have made it out of the Dark Lord's castle."  
"You're lying!"  
"I'm not!" I answered, bursting into tears. "I don't know why I agreed, I should've thought of something different to get us out, but I couldn't--I couldn't. Harry, you've got to understand. We'd have DIED if I hadn't. Please--please believe me. I didn't mean to hide it from you, but I had to. I didn't want you to overreact and forget about me!" I sobbed. I leaned back against the wall and sank to the floor. Harry strode over to me, towering above me. He stared pitilessly down, and I could hardly meet his gaze.  
"Are you a Death Eater?" he asked in a whisper.  
"Not technically--"  
"Not technically is not the answer. It's yes or no."  
"Y--No," I changed my answer halfway through the sentence.  
"If you're not a Death Eater, then why do you have the Mark? Only Death Eaters have that mark," he informed me.  
"I was lying when I agreed. Voldemort didn't realize it, I don't think. Please believe me," I pleaded. "I am telling the complete truth. Harry, you've got to believe me."  
"No. You're lying to me. I don't believe you." He shook his head and spun on his heel, stomping out the door.  
My body was racked with sobs that echoed through the stone room. I let myself slip all the way onto the floor, to lie on my side. I cried for a long time, before finally sinking into a depressed sleep.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
Later, that day would seem like nothing, though at the time, it was one of the worst days I had ever had. At least, that was how I looked at it. After Harry had stormed out, I had lie on the floor and wept, not for the first time that month. Remus had come to get me shortly after my crying spell, not saying anything, just gesturing that I needed to go downstairs and eat something. I had obeyed, merely because I did not feel like sitting morosely on the floor for any longer. Harry had not spoken to me all throughout breakfast/lunch--whichever it was--and I had not urged him to do so. I was depressed, confused, and lonely. Lupin was no help. He was a busybody, going around and making plans, never stopping once to check on how I was feeling.  
It must be a guy thing, I thought as he hustled around my room, looking for his broken wand. I pointed at the dresser, where his wand was lying, snapped in half. He nodded and hurried to get it. I frowned, picking at the frayed bedspread on the bed that I was lying on.  
"Remus, does Harry hate me?" I asked.  
"Of course not," he answered, not pausing to look at me. "He's just upset, that's all. He'll get over it, I know. I was--believe it or not--a teenager once. I promise he'll forget about in time. Now, where's that..."  
I sighed, continuing to pluck the little threads out of the covers. I sniffled, thinking wistfully of the happy days when I was at home, thumping Harry playfully on the arm. My thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Without waiting for an answer, the door swung open.  
A tall, black haired man stood in the doorway.  
Rayne, the vampire. 


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (06)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole daemon hehe Draco ?  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust, The Golden Compass (  
Summary: Nicole Stevens is normal, mostly. She just has wierd dreams. What?!?!  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own the book 'The Golden Compass'. I borrowed names from there. I claim no right to them. Any spells in '...' are copyrghted by Patricia C. Wrede, and I claim no right to them.  
Author notes: Go girl! Go!!! Grr!!! Smily. Thanks to my beta, Tril, my bestest online friends, Kim and Kara, and my friends at home here in Loserville USA.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Six: Of Vampires and Argelfraster   
When we last left our heroine and her blood-sucking vampirish friend...  
A tall, black haired man stood in the doorway.  
Rayne, the vampire.  
"Aha, my prize is found," he said once he saw me. Remus stared unbelievingly at the young man. Except, he wasn't young, he was quite old, as he WAS a vampire.  
"Your prize? Well, then I suppose you must mean that you have been looking for Remus' broken wand, too. Here you go," I said, taking Lupin's wand from his hand and tossing it to Rayne. Rayne caught it deftly and threw it back to Lupin.  
"Ah, but you are my prize. I am taking you, and only you."  
"Oh no you aren't!" I called, hopping up and stepping around him, making for the door. The vampire dragged me back.  
"Either you come willingly with me, or I make this difficult."  
"You know what, Rayne? I'm going to be the one making things difficult!" I struggled to get out of his grasp, but the vampire was ten-times stronger than any human.  
"Fine, then. I shall take you the hard way," Rayne grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me up onto his shoulder. He started out the door, but not before Lupin cried,  
"Stop! You can't just TAKE her like this!" He lunged at Rayne, but he stepped out of the way.  
"I can and I am. Now, goodbye." There was a whoosh and everything went dark.  
"Where are we?" I asked Rayne fearfully.  
"We are travelling in the underworld. Do not fear, Milady, the demons will not seize us. They do not dare, I am a vampire. I rule them."  
"I'm scared," I admitted tremulously.  
"Do not be. The only thing you need to worry about, is what Master Draco will do when he finds you like this. Being dishevelled and crying will not please him."  
"D-Draco?" I asked, quavering. "How did you know I was crying?"  
"You sniffled," he informed me. "How else was I to know how you were feeling? Besides, I understand why you would be upset. Oh, good, we're here."  
The darkness suddenly shuddered and shifted, revealing a large stone room. There was a chaise in the centre, directly in front of a fireplace. Against one wall, there was a luxurious bed, and I longed to just go flop down on the silken black sheets and fall into a restful sleep. The carpet was a deep, velvety green, and I noticed a small stain of brown that looked an awful like--  
"Blood!" I cried, flinging my arms around Rayne's neck. He wrapped his arms around me as I began to cry loudly. I did not hear the door opening, or the quick footsteps on the carpet.  
"Nicole!" a voice came from behind me. I spun around, coming face to face with Draco Malfoy.  
Once he saw my tear-stained face, Draco embraced me in a more-than-friendly hug. I did not struggle, not only because it would be futile, but because I had sub-consciously wanted him to. Draco let one of his hands slip down to my waist, and he pulled me tighter to him. Rayne walked away, though I did not notice. Draco pulled one of my hands from his neck and kissed my palm, pulling away from me.  
"I'm sorry if this whole endeavour frightened you," he said softly. "I had to get you here, though. It was the safest place. I apologize for spoiling your transportation spell, but I had to get you out of danger. Lucius would have known how to get you if you had gone to Hogwarts. I'm so sorry."  
"No, don't apologize. I don't need to hear it. Just explain this whole thing, Draco, and we'll call it even."  
"Yes, of course. You might need to lie down while you listen. I have a feeling some of this will be very hard to believe. Now..."  
Draco explained that he had been with the Death Eaters who broke into my suite yesterday--was it only yesterday? He said that he had deliberately cast a back shock charm to change my destination. Draco told me that he had cast the spell to send me to Durmstrang, where he could send someone to get me. He also informed me of the present condition of Voldemort's captor.  
"Black's holding up quite well. He hasn't told them anything...yet. But, everyone has their breaking point. Black's close to it, I'll vouch for that. He's not doing too well mentally either; he's suffering traumatic loss of memory. If someone doesn't get him out soon, he'll go mad as a hare. So, that's about it."  
"Okay. Well, where is he? I mean, I'll get him out, if I can, but I need to know WHERE he is before I can. Besides, Dumbledore will need to know. So, where is he?"  
"He is, as far as I know, somewhere inside here. I don't know where, though. Lucius kept moving him, so none of us would be able to--"  
"Lucius! Oh my god, Draco! I have to go. I need to go. I'm just going to go to Durmstrang, get Harry..." I began mumbling hurriedly, making plans.  
"Whoa, Nicole. Slow down, you don't have to leave. Father won't be here for at least two days, so you'll be safe until then."  
"No, no, no," I argued. "Harry and Remus. They'll be worried about me, and I have to go. I'm going now, seriously." I rubbed the silver ring on my finger and said,  
"*Convey this crowd,  
On wind and cloud,  
To the castle of the king,  
By the power of this ring.*  
Durmstrang!"  
Before I realized what Draco had done, he grabbed onto my arm as the mist consumed the room around us. I shot a furious glance at him. He was looking frazzled, but just as charming as ever.  
We landed on grass with a thump. I looked around us, seeing some sparse trees, and Draco brushing imaginary dust off of his ruffled black shirt and muttering under his breath.  
"Why did you do that?!" I yelled, punching him hard on the arm. "You weren't supposed to come with me to get Harry! Go back this instant!"  
"I will not," he said with a smug air. "I came with you because it's safer this way. Now, where is Durmstrang?" he asked, clapping his hands together expectantly.  
"I don't know! We just sort-of ambled north last time! But, that was then, and this is now. Okay, I think north is--" I pointed to my left, "--that way."  
"You're wrong," Draco informed me. "It's that way." He pointed straight ahead of us.  
"Oh? And how, Mister-High-and-Mighty, do you know that?"  
"Because my compass says so," he had pulled out a tiny compass. "And I believe a compass more than you, at least in the matter of which direction is north."  
"Where did you get the compass?"  
"I don't remember. I think I just stuck it in my pocket this morning. And I think it's Somnus's."  
"It would figure," I muttered. "Well, then, let's go north!"  
"I think we should," Draco said, beginning to walk at a fast pace through the trees.  
"Wait up!" I called, running after him.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"Hello, we happen to be looking for someone. Do you know if there's a--"  
I cut Draco off, saying,  
"Shush. Let me handle this. Hi, I'm Nicole. I was here earlier today. Some of my friends were here, and I need to know if they're still in the school. Could you let me pass?"  
"Vhat are you talking about? I have strict orders not to let any'vun pass. Go back where you came from, girl," the man at the gate said. His accent was heavy, and I could hardly understand him.  
"Look, Smorgasbord-Boy," Draco put in, "let us by or I'll let myself break your nose."  
"Excuse me? Is there a problem here?"  
"Krum! Thank god! Come here and tell this thug who we are," I jerked my thumb at the heavyset guard. Krum, on the other side of the gate, strode forward and began conversing quickly with the other man.  
"I don't think they like us," Draco whispered in my ear.  
"No wonder, after your threat," I shot back. Draco smirked and began cleaning under his nails. I shook my head, noticing that if there had been a tree nearby, Draco would have leant on it. He was so vain sometimes.  
"Come vith me," the guard said, indicating me. "He stays here."  
"What?! No way I'm staying here. I am coming with her if it's the last thing I do. I took valuable time finding this girl, and I am NOT leaving her in the hands of a brute, who will probably ravage her!" He finished his rant out of breath.  
"I am not a brute!" the man shouted.  
"Of course not, he's just mean. Come on, let him pass. He's my...uh, best friend. I don't go anywhere without him."  
"I am NOT your teddy bear Nicole! Though, I do like the idea--"  
"Shut up, Draco. Please let him come. I'll be sure to put him on a leash when we get inside. Please?"  
"Very vell. But be sure he doesn't bite any'vun." I laughed at the guard's joke, but Draco scowled and pouted,  
"'Make sue he doesn't bite anyvuuun," he mimicked, enunciating the end. "I swear, I'm going to--"  
"Come on, Draco!" I held his hand to try to coax him.  
"You will not put a leash on me," he stated flatly.  
"Of course not."  
"And I'm beating up Potter when we get there."  
"Of course you wi--No you won't!" I caught myself. "Now we are leaving with this nice man, to go find our best friends."  
"Fine," Draco said sulkily.  
I nodded at the guard and we went through the gate. Inside, there was a huge courtyard. All the grass was knee-height off to the sides, with one beaten path leading up to a small castle. Draco and I trotted to keep up with the sentinel. We reached the castle in five minutes, and our guide knocked seven times on the heavy wood door. It swung open, and Draco peeked inside. I hit his shoulder and we walked through.  
"Vhere vere your friends staying?"  
"Second floor, rooms twenty, twenty-one, and twenty-two."  
"All right then," Draco exclaimed, hurrying to the stairs. The guard waved us ahead, leaving us to find the rooms. I dashed up the stairs, Draco at my heels. Once we were on the second floor, I slowed down and looked for our doors. At door twenty, I said,  
"Here's Harry's room!" I knocked on the door, and waited. And waited. And waited.  
"He's not here," Draco said after a while.  
"Of course he is," I snapped. I opened the door and stepped in with Draco, looking around. Harry's belongings were here, but where was Harry?  
"My door's open," a voice from the corridor called.  
"It is? Maybe a cleaning woman came."  
That was Lupin's voice! Then the other voice must be Harry!  
"Hello? Is anyone--Nicole!!!" Harry ran to me and wrapped me in a warm embrace. "I'm sorry. I overreacted. I didn't come in time to get you before that vampire took you. I'm so sorry," he faded into a string of unintelligible 'sorry's.  
"Excuse me, Potter, but before you go and snog her, I need to talk with you."  
"Malfoy!" Harry cried, jumping back from me and surveying Draco as if he was a ghost.  
"Oh, very good, Potter. I didn't think you'd recognize me."  
"Did he send the vampire to take you?" I nodded. "You! Die, Malfoy! Die!" He threw himself at Draco knocking him to the floor. Harry began assaulting Draco, pounding him with furious blows.  
"Harry, STOP!" When Harry didn't stop beating Draco, I walked forward and grabbed him arm mid-punch. Harry looked amazedly up at me, then stood up, reddening.  
"Erm...oops. I got out of control."  
"No duh. Harry, go stand over in there," I waved at the bed. "I'm going to have to see how many ribs of his you've broken."  
"Okay," Harry said dejectedly.  
I sighed, kneeling down beside Draco, who had not risen from the floor. I looked at his bloody nose and shook my head. Draco reached up and brought my lips down on his. I gasped, allowing Draco a chance to slip his tongue in my mouth. He shifted, sitting up and pulling me onto his lap without breaking the kiss. Harry saw, and darted over, trying to push Draco away, but only succeeding in making me fall off Draco's lap. Draco smirked up into Harry's face.  
"What, Potter, didn't like the sight? I thought it was quite enjoyable."  
"You----! How dare you! I am going to break six more of your ribs before this is over!" He socked Draco in the stomach, and a groan escaped Draco's lips.  
"Stop it Harry," I said, wiping my mouth pointlessly. "You're being foolish."  
"Inane?" said Harry, shoving Draco back to the ground. "I'm not finished with you yet," he spat at Draco. "I've still got three more ribs to go."  
"Argh!" Draco yelled, frustrated. He used Harry's distraction as a time to get his retribution. Draco lunged at Harry's throat, causing Harry to fall backward. Draco crawled on top of him and began giving Harry his comeuppance. Soon, I gave up on trying to make them stop, and just went and sat on Harry's bed, but when I heard a loud crack, I had to go check. Draco was lying on the floor, and I realized that Harry had broken another of Draco's ribs. I kicked Harry in the shin and pushed him off Draco.  
"Draco? Draco, how many fingers am I holding up?" I held up one finger.  
"You're holding up one finger, you moron! He didn't sock me in the eye, okay he did, but not twice. I can still count, even though I'm seeing two fingers," Draco slurred some of his words, and I had an insane urge to hit him.  
"Okay, hold on a minute. Harry, go get Lupin. This is stupid."  
"I can't," moaned Harry. "I taste blood in my mouth, and I think it's a bad sign."  
"The reason you're tasting blood is because your nose is bleeding. Now stop being a baby and go get Remus!"  
"Fine!" He stood and stalked out of the room.  
"You know what, Nicole?" Draco whispered.  
"What?"  
"I think you love me, too."  
"Draco, not now."  
"It's true. And I think that kisssssss proooved it," he began slurring even worse.  
"You're delirious," I told him. "You're slurring, too."  
"Kiss me again."  
"What!"  
"If you won't do it willingly, then I'll make you," he said slowly.  
"Uh-uh," I protested.  
"Yes." Draco pulled me down, and kissed me again. He slowly deepened the kiss, allowing me to feel every second. And I let him.  
"...yeah, I did some damage..."  
"...how bad is it?"  
I pulled away from Draco and looked at the door, not wanting to see Draco's face. The door burst open and Lupin strode in, and upon seeing Draco's dishevelled and bloody state, he ran to him and kneeled beside the boy.  
"Look who it is," Draco said, trying to raise his voice from a whisper, but failing. "It's loony loopy Lupin."  
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said from the other side of the room.  
"It's alright, Harry. Now..." He began to heal Draco, using magic. Remus did reasonably well, only making Draco pained occasionally.  
"There. I'm finished. Can you stand?"  
"What do you think?" Draco asked viciously.  
"I'm warning you Malfoy, I let Lupin cure you first, but if you say another word, I'll kill you," Harry shot at him.  
"Sod off Potter, or I might have to kiss Nicole again."  
"That's it!" cried Harry, hopping off the bed and scrambling to get at Draco. Lupin restrained him, and then ordered me to take Harry somewhere else.  
I took Harry into my room, instructing him to sit on the bed. He complied, but only because I gave him my 'you-will-die-if-you-argue' look. I hurried around the room, picking up all of my belongings.  
"Turn around and don't watch me change clothes," I commanded him. Harry nodded and buried his face in one of the pillows. I changed into my freshly washed clothes, tossing the red dress on the floor. Then I grabbed my bag and put my nightdress into it. Lupin had my wand, so I wasn't missing that, but what else didn't I have?  
My communication mirror.  
"Harry! Where's that mirror I stuck in the pocket of your jeans the other night?"  
"Er, it's probably still there. D'you want me to go check?"  
"No, you stay here, I'll get it." I walked out into the hall, but stopped at the door of Harry's room when I heard low voices.  
"...don't touch her...she's Harry's...I'm warning you, he's serious about her..."  
"...ha...as if...she's not in love with him...I don't care what she says...and Potter won't do a bloody thing to me...now, I'm going to try and walk..."  
I knocked and walked in. Draco was trying to stalk across the room with his usual air of narcissism. He looked at me when I entered, asking slyly,  
"Did Harry send you here to threaten me?"  
"No, actually. I'm here to get something of mine."  
"What is it, a pack of birth-control pills?" Draco teased.  
"Would it matter if it was?" I countered.  
"Yes. Is it?" he tried to sound nonchalant, but failed miserably.  
"No," I said in a carefree manner. "It's a mirror."  
"Oh, please," he said exasperatedly.  
"Remus, do you know where Harry's laundry is? I gave my mirror to him to hold for me."  
"They are over on the chair," he pointed at the chair beside the dresser. I thanked him and went to rummage through Harry's pockets. When I found the communication mirror, I stuck it into my shoulder bag and left. I ran back to my room, where Harry was sitting on my bed, humming some tune.  
"Got it," I said happily. "So, when d'you think Lupin will be ready for us to go?"  
"I dunno'," Harry replied. "But I know that if I have to spend more time cooped up in a tiny a room, I am going to injure someone; preferably Malfoy, but I don't know."  
"You have hurt him. I mean, three or four of his ribs. That's not good. I didn't know you were so violent."  
"Well, I'm not," I gave Harry a don't-give-me-that-crap look. "Okay, okay, maybe I am. But, normally I'm not violent."  
"Right."  
There was a knock at the door and I called,  
"Come in!"  
"I was going to," Draco answered, pushing the door open. "Hello Potter! I didn't know you were going to be here, I would've changed into something bit less fancy. I'm sorry to make you feel inferior, though you ARE."  
"Draco, shut your mouth, or I'll turn you into a rat. Where's Remus?" I asked.  
"Lupin's coming. He says we're going to Hogwarts. It's not a good idea, in my hardly humble opinion."  
"Well, Malfoy, we know how useful your opinion is, don't we?"  
"No," Draco quipped.  
"Hey, you want me to call this a girly fight?" Both boys gave me startled looks. "Good. Now be quiet."  
Lupin came in some time later. He was muttering to himself and counting on his fingers.  
"We're going to Hogwarts. Nicole, do you believe you could perform the transportation spell again?"  
"Correctly?" Harry added.  
"I did the spell correctly last time, but Draco screwed it up by using a back shock charm. Of course I can do it again."  
"Then we're all going. Not you," Harry shot at Draco.  
"Oh? And why not?"  
"Because you're mean."  
"Am not."  
"Are too."  
"Are too."  
"Am n-- No way, Malfoy. I'm not going to fall for that one. Lupin, we're not taking him. Right?"  
"I'm sorry, Harry, but we have no choice," Remus apologized. "We can't leave him here. Professor Krum says that if we left him here, that he'd just toss him out."  
"All the more reason to leave him behind."  
"No, Harry," I interjected, "Draco is coming with us. That's not a question; it's a statement. I am telling you that Draco is coming with us."  
"Fine."  
"Now, everyone. Does everyone have all of their belongings?"  
"Yes," we all said together.  
"Then, Nicole, cast the transportation spell. Grab hands."  
Harry took hold of my right hand, Draco my left. Remus took hold of Draco's left hand, and Harry took Remus' left hand.  
"*Convey this crowd,  
On wind and cloud,  
To the castle of the king,  
By the power of this ring.*  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" I cast the spell.  
The room around us was filled with mist, and we stood in silence. The mist swirled around us, consuming my friends around me. I exhaled, leaving a gap in the fog. The water molecules swarmed to fill the gap. There was a thump, and we all landed on hard turf. Once the haze had cleared, I saw that we were standing directly in front of a large gate: The Hogwarts Entrance.  
"See, I told you so. I said I could get us here. Who's the fool now?" I crowed proudly.  
"Okay, Nicky, you win. You were right; you can do the transportation spell. Now, let's go in and see if anyone's there."  
"Thank you," I said, stalked up to the gates before anyone else had a chance. I pulled them open; ignoring the surly looks the stone lions gave me.  
"Yes, we should go ahead quickly. It's nearly nightfall," Lupin pointed out. "Dumbledore isn't expecting us, I don't think. Well, he won't be asleep now, at any rate. Let's go."  
"So, what shall I do while we're here?" Draco drawled.  
I heard Harry mutter under his breath, "Pretend to be useful," before he saw me staring at him, and shut up.  
We trudged up the gentle slop to the castle. Draco fell into step next to me and I whispered,  
"You could try to be a little bit less pessimistic."  
"Of course I could, but I won't be. It's my nature to be annoying and if you have a problem with that then you can kiss me and I'll stop."  
"Yeah, right," I growled. "Like I'm going to go to do THAT just to get you to shut up and act like a normal person."  
"But I'm not normal, Nicole. I would think that by now you would know how different I am. Of course, darling, you may believe whatever you like, if that's what will change your mind about me," he replied.  
"A lengthier explanation than needed," I mentioned. "What you're saying is you're above everyone else and I should just sleep with you. Correct?"  
"Something to the extent of that, yes."  
"Oh, darn, my schedule's all filled up tonight, and tomorrow night, and ditto, ditto, ditto," I faded off.  
As we continued walking up to the castle, Draco waited for an opportune time before saying,  
"Who ever said we would have to do it at night?"  
"You are a cold-blooded, pitiless little snake."  
"Tut, tut, Nicole. I am not a snake. I am a sixteen year-old teenager who, though wicked hot, is quite warm-blooded. Now, back to the matter at hand. All it would take to make me behave is a quick kiss. Just one. I'd make it enjoyable."  
"No, nope, no way. I'm not going to prostitute myself just for a snooty little Dragon-boy who acts like he is the ruler of the world."  
"It would NOT be prostituting yourself. Do you really believe I would let you do that? Even for myself I wouldn't debase you to such levels of lesser ethics."  
"So, what would you call it?" I hissed, keeping my eyes on Harry's head in front of me.  
"I'd call it payback. I helped you escape from the Dark Lord's castle last year. You OWE me, and that's a wizard's debt. You're mine until I believe you have repaid me. So, if I told you to kiss me, you'd have to do it. If I ordered you to lick my shoes, you'd do it. Also, if I told you to perform a striptease for me, then you would. Now, what do you have to say to THAT?"  
"You are slime, Malfoy. Now stop being a pervert and sod off before I let Harry beat the crap out of you."  
Draco paused and tilted my chin up. I looked up into his face, my insides wriggling. He bent down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.  
"You just wait, dear. You'll see."  
I gaped at him as her strode to walk beside Lupin, who he towered over. Draco had grown considerably over the summer, and he was now three inches taller than Harry. I stood frozen in one spot, watching as Draco walked up to the castle. Regaining my senses, I ran ahead to catch them up. When I finally came to walk beside Harry, they had reached the castle.  
Draco was walking through the doors first, followed by Lupin. As Harry and I went through the door and came to stand in the Entrance hall, I waited for Draco to look at me before grabbing Harry and giving him a kiss to remember. He leant me backwards, arching my back slightly. I twirled a strand of his raven black hair around my finger as we kissed, feeling Draco's hot glare. Harry ran his hands down to my hips, then raised one of his hands to support my neck. I pulled apart from him then, before we went too far.  
"I'm sorry for all the secrets," I whispered.  
"I don't care about them," he replied. 


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (07)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco Feoxi Hogwarts  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Golden Compass, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust  
Summary: Nicole is having problems. Again. Read to find out!  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I use some names and the term 'daemon' from The Golden Compass. I do not own it, just some of the characters the terms belong to. Some spells are taken from Patricia C. Wrede's The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I do not own that book, either.  
Author notes: Thanks, everybody! Thanks mods! You all rock!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Seven: Explanations  
"Good evening, Professor Lupin. Might I be of service?"  
Draco smirked at Dumbledore from behind Lupin. He had been unpleasant from the time we had set off for the office up until now. Apparently, not even the headmaster could make him behave.  
"Albus, we apologize for the sudden arrival. Some...events have necessitated our coming. If I might explain, as soon as we get these children--"  
"Hmph," growled Draco.  
"Excuse me, Mister Malfoy. I meant, as soon as we get these adolescents settled, I would be overjoyed to inform you of all that has happened, Albus. So--"  
"Professor Dumbledore, I think that I'd be the fittest person to explain all that has happened," I broke in. "Standing out in the hall isn't helping explain anything at all."  
"Of course, Nicole. Yes, come in," Dumbledore stepped back from the door and opened it wide for us to come inside his office.  
Draco, Lupin, and Harry got the seats in front of Dumbledore's desk, so I got set to stand. But Harry grinned mischievously and pulled me onto his lap. I laughed as Dumbledore situated himself at his desk and pushed his half-moon spectacles up on the bridge of his nose.  
"Now, I suppose what we first need to know, is how you came to be here, and why. Who has the account from beginning to end?"  
"I do," I answered.  
"Then, Nicole, please tell me everything."  
"All right. About half way through the summer, I got really lonely, so I invited Harry to come and stay with me. He accepted, and the day he arrived, my cousins and aunt came. But, one day, I was sitting outside in my favorite willow in the grove, and I...fell asleep. When I woke up, I was hovering eight feet off the ground. I asked aloud what was happening, and I heard this voice in my head, telling me all this stuff. Finally, whatever had been holding me in the air, sat me on the branch. I eventually deducted that the trees were the owners of the voices. They told me all about them, and that I was their keeper."  
"The Keeper of the Woods," Dumbledore murmured to himself. Then he said to me, "Yes go on."  
"And then I talked to them. This one oak, Melagh, she told me she could track souls. I asked her to find Voldemort. When she told me that he had known he was being tracked and threw his shields up, I asked to find Draco, because I had been worried. Well, she told me where he was, and everything was fine.  
"Then, I went outside another day, with a communication mirror. I called Draco, and we spoke briefly. What he told me was enough to get me worried. I decided that Harry and I would stay in Diagon Alley until school started.  
"Well, I found out about Sirius Black, and had Harry tell me the whole story. I get it now. But, then we went to Diagon Alley. We got a huge suite there, and met Lupin at an ice cream parlor. He told us about himself, though I was the only one who didn't know him.  
"Later that night, Harry told me that Lupin had told him that Sirius had been captured by the dark lord. He looked stoned, honestly. After he fell asleep, I went to talk to Remus. We spoke for awhile, blah blah blah. When the Mark on my arm burnt, Remus went crazy and made me go get Harry and some stuff. We grabbed the things that were vital and I performed a transportation spell to get us here, just as the door of our suite broke open.  
"We found ourselves at Durmstrang, where we were greeted hospitably. There, we slept and were given fresh clothes. When I woke, I slipped on the dress they'd given me. It was red. Harry came in, and saw the Mark, which I hadn't told him about. He got really mad and stomped out. In the afternoon, while Remus was looking in my room for his wand, someone knocked at my door. It was Rayne the vampire, who works for Voldemort. Rayne took me to Malfoy Manor, where I met Draco, who soon told me that he had been with the party of Death Eaters who'd broken into my suite. He said he'd cast a back shock charm to change my destination. When I realized that I was in danger at Malfoy manor, I performed another transportation spell, taking me to Durmstrang. Draco grabbed my arm and brought himself with me.  
"Then, we found Harry and yadda yadda yadda; most of Draco's ribs were broken. Then we gathered everything we'd brought and I did the transportation spell to get us here. And, here we are!"  
"Ah, I see. Well, you three must get to bed. I am afraid the common rooms and dormitories are inaccessible, as some of the guardians are visiting other places, so we shall get you three guest rooms. Let me fetch Professor Snape to do that."  
He stood and threw a pinch of powder into the fireplace, which sprang into flames as soon as he did. He said Professor Snape, and stood back from the fireplace.   
We waited in silence for Dumbledore to finish. I nearly jumped out of Harry's lap when I saw Snape's head in the fireplace.  
"Severus, I need you in my office immediately," Dumbledore informed Snape, who seemed unaware of the sparks around his face.  
"Yes, Albus, but--I am in the middle of an extremely important research. That potion, you know. And its cure."  
"Well, I will allow you to continue your research as soon as you have taken our early pupils to the guest rooms."  
"Early students? Oh, them. I spotted people traipsing into the castle earlier, but I figured it was Minerva and Ravena. I shall be there shortly," Snape said sharply.  
"See to it that you are," Dumbledore told him.  
Snape's head disappeared from the fireplace and Dumbledore strode back to his desk. I watched the door expectantly, along with Harry. Draco seemed bored, and he began to become restless. He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees, resting his chin in his palms. Remus, on the other hand, kept whispering with Dumbledore. They seemed to be discussing something of the greatest importance, but I could not hear a word they said.  
There was a knock on the door, as it swung open and Snape strode in, looking peeved.  
"Albus, where are these--Draco? What on earth--?"  
"I'm here with them," Draco sighed, jerking a finger at Harry and me; I was still sitting in Harry's lap.  
"Oh, Potter and Stevens. Very well, follow me, and I shall lead you to your guest rooms."  
He spun on his heel, Draco striding along behind him. I hopped up with Harry and we ran out after them. As soon as we caught them up, Snape looked at Harry and snarled, "I am warning you, Potter, as I have done often: Do not break into my office. I will find out if you do. Also, I will be sure to have someone check on you every night, to make sure you stay in your own bed. Now, I don't care what you do, don't mistake. If you want to share beds, go ahead, but I will NOT tolerate nightly noises to disturb my sleep. Do you understand?"  
"Yeah, sure," I muttered.  
"Excuse me?"  
"Nothing, Professor. Oh and by the way, the boys are the ones old enough to have sexual intercourse," I informed him, "My sixteenth birthday is in October."  
"It has made no matter how old a student was in past years, there were broken laws all over the school. And for your cheek--"  
"What are you going to do? We don't have house points yet," I said.  
"Hold your tongue! Do not mock me, Miss Stevens. Whether you are Potter's girlfriend or not, I don't care, you are not above the rules. Dumbledore might take it upon himself to watch out for you, but I do not. My goal in life is to catch rule-breaking students and punish them. And, as much as I would like to elaborate, I will not."  
"Good," I replied, yawning obviously.  
"We are here," Snape said stiffly.  
"Sir, yes sir!" I said, saluting him. "Good night, Sir!"  
Snape glared daggers at me before turning to the portrait we were standing in front of.  
"Draco Luna," Snape addressed to the portrait. The silvery-white dragon sleeping underneath the moon exhaled, blowing white fire out of its nostrils.  
"Cool," I heard Draco whisper.  
The portrait swung open, revealing a large stone entryway, leading down a dark corridor.  
Snape snapped his fingers, and fire sprang into light in the torch brackets on the wall. He led us down the hall, where we were soon faced with a most impressive sight. There was a room the size of the Gryffindor common room, decorated in silver, blue, green, gold, and red. A couch was situated in front of the fireplace, where a fire was burning its merry light casting slight shadows. The room was lit magically, and there was no need for torch brackets, though I spotted several, as well as a chandelier with thirteen milky candles in the holders. In the center of the room, there were four chairs in a circle. A small table was off to the side, covered in dusty old parchments, a book, and an ink and quill.  
"Marvelous," I sighed. "Heya, Snape, what is this used for? I mean, it seems so grand. Not exactly for just any old quests."  
"Well, as you seem to delight in historical ramblings, this was the common room of the four founders: Salazar Slytherin--"  
"Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, yeah I know. But, is this place used any more?"  
"No. I have no idea why Dumbledore saw it fit for you to stay here, but he obviously has reasons. Your bedroom is there," he pointed to a separate corridor with a gold and black banner over it, no doubt leading to a bedroom. "Draco, there is yours," this time Snape indicated the hall next to mine, where a silver and green banner was hanging. "And, Potter, yours is on the other side of this room," he waved at a door across the room, with a red and gold drape hanging above the entrance. "You shall go to bed now, unless some prior engagement calls."  
"Okay," I said. "What if we're hungry?"  
"You call for a house elf, and they'll fetch you something," he snapped.  
"All right, all right, no need to split hairs," I said in an undertone.  
Snape ignored my last remark and strode swiftly out of the room, and I faintly heard the portrait slam shut, followed by the growl of the portrait dragon. Apparently, it did not enjoy being banged shut.  
"So, I'm off to bed, and you two may do whatever you like," Draco said haughtily.  
Harry waved Draco off with a loud, "And good riddence, too."  
Draco snorted and quickened his pace. He stalked into his hallway and left Harry and I staring blankly after him. Soon we regained our senses and said goodnight; he heading left to his hall, I to the right.  
As I walked down the hall, I listened to the steady thump of my footsteps. Without thinking, I began counting my steps; one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine...fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen.  
I reached another room, about half the size of the previous one. This one had golden chairs and a desk. Were they golden? I couldn't truly tell in the relative dark. Then, I remember how Snape had ignited the torches in the hall before, and I decided to try it. As I snapped, light flickered on, though I could not tell where it came from. I looked upwards, seeing a chandelier with lit candles in it. But surely, those candles did not supply all the light?  
I shook my head and looked around me. The chairs were indeed gold, and a large desk was sitting in front of a huge bookshelf, filled with (tehehe, you couldn't believed) books. I tiptoed over to the desk and craned my neck to inspect the items sitting on the top. An elegant golden quill looked as though it had been used only seconds before, but the book I saw on the writing table was dusty and creaked as I opened it. The heavy cover flipped open as I pulled open the cover. I fingered the first pages, on which writing proclaimed:  
Historia Magick  
Writ: Olleander Talon  
"What in the world?" I whispered, my breath stirring the dust on the page. "This book must be...a thousand years old at least. How did it get here?"  
A sudden noise shook me from my stupor. I spun around searching for an intruder, no one. Clutching my hand to my chest, I edged cautiously away from the desk, never allowing my eyes to drift from the page of Historia Magick. Suddenly, the pages began flipping wildly as if caught in a high wind, and dust flew in the air. There was a loud roaring noise, like that of a thousand trains. The book began to glow as the pages turned with such great speed that there was a whirring sound. The book levitated, never ceasing its turning pages. The golden light emanating from it shone throughout the room, bathing me in a white light like no other. The roaring continued and I began to scream, thinking in my head,  
Screw this! I'm getting out of here!  
But I did not have the courage to turn and run. The room shook throwing me off-balance, I grabbed onto the desk, causing it to topple over. It fell on my head. I struggled underneath the heavy desk, which was bearing down on me, squeezing air from my lungs. Foreign words passed my lips,  
"Concubia nocte historia!"  
The whirring stopped and I heard something heavy fall to the ground. Bursting from beneath the pile of books, I stood, surrounded by books fallen from the shelves. I dragged myself out of the pile, stumbling into the golden chair. A door creaked open, and I saw a woman standing in the door leading to what I supposed must be the bedroom. It was me.  
I collapsed, dropping into an unconscious state on the floor.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"Oh, no! What have I done? I have killed her! My goddess, she looks just like me! Who is she, though? She certainly cannot be me. Her clothing for one, it's different."  
"Oh, Helga. Give it up already; the girl will not rouse. I admit, you two have slight likenesses, but you look nothing the same. She is better filled out, the girl has shorter hair, and she looks too smart to be you."  
"Shush, Sal. I was not speaking to you."  
"Who're you?" I heard my own voice say from far away. Who were these people, and WHY were there talking about me? My eyelids flickered open, and I stared up into a young woman's face. She looked exactly like me. EXACTLY.  
"She rouses! What fortune! Sal, you were wrong," the *me* said.  
"Whatever you say, Helga. Let me see her. I am the healer here, am I not?"  
"If you may do something for her, by all means go ahead," *me* told the other voice.  
A man--twenty at most--stepped into my view, kneeling down beside me. It was Draco, or so I thought.  
"Draco," I whispered, reaching up and caressing his cheek, tracing my forefinger down his jawbone.  
"She has an odd accent," *Draco* said, not stopping me from touching him. "Who are you?"  
"You know," I retorted.  
"Yes of course, I do. I just want to hear your voice." He was lying, though I did not realize it at the time.  
"I'm Nicole Stevens. I'm fifteen."  
"Oh," he paused.   
"Who's she, Draco?" I asked, pointing weakly at my look-alike.   
"First off, call me Salazar or Sal. Secondly, that idiotic girl behind me is Helga. Do you know why you are here or how you arrived?"  
"A book," I murmured vaguely, "Historia Magick. It started roaring and then I yelled something and I was here."  
"Yes, I believe her," Sal said, turning to Helga. "Fetch Gryffindor, tell him we have a visitor. I swear, I have to turn to a moron because he is the only other person here intelligent enough to puzzle this out," he cursed.  
"Of course, Sal," she said, turning and striding out of the room.  
"Sal, you're really cute, you know."  
"Cute?"  
"You're handsome."  
"That I know," he replied, looking down at me. "So, I suppose I must wait for you to regain your senses to inform me of your complete tale. Correct?"  
"I'm in perfect frame of mind," I mumbled. "But, until I remember more, I'm not gonna' be able to tell you much."  
"Yes, I believe the same. Would you mind terribly if I carried you to somewhere you are not lying in a pile of books?"  
"Nope," I answered. My consciousness faded as Sal's arms lifted me, cradling me against him. I did not know that he took me to his bedroom, barking orders at Godric Gryffindor.  
*--*  
I awoke to see Harry leaning over me. Or, at least, I thought it was Harry, but this belief was cut short.  
"She is awake," *Harry* said.  
"She is? Wonderful. I have a potion for her."   
Sal came and stood beside the bed. I tried to push myself up, to better speak with him, but I only collapsed back onto the bed. Salazar set a goblet on the bedside table, piling up pillows against the backboard and helping me sit up.  
"Drink this, Nicole," he commanded.  
"What is it?" I queried.  
"Strengthening potion. I brewed it for you. It should restore a sufficient amount of your strength," he informed me.  
"Okay," I took the goblet as he handed it to me. I drank the potion, gulping it down. I expected a rough, disgusting taste, but found that it tasted rather like sweet fruit punch and lemonade.  
"How is it?" Sal asked concernedly.  
"Mm...I like it. Are you positive this is strengthening potion? It tastes like a cider, sort of."  
"I am sure, yes. It is supposed to taste reasonably appetizing, though sometime the brew comes out...different."  
"I do remember. I got one of your different brews. Tasted like rotten fruit," *Harry* put in.  
"Godric, if you do not be quiet, I shall have to curse your tongue to be tied. Nicole, this is Godric. He is not very intelligent compared to me, but he is not like the women, who are incompetent."  
"I take that personally," a girl's voice broke in.  
"Of course, Ro. I expect you to," Godric said as a girl came behind him and rested her hand on his shoulder.  
"Sal, I do not understand why you must be so conceited. Neither Helga nor I have been attempting to annoy you for days now. Godric does not treat either of us like this."  
"Of course Godric does not behave toward either of you like I. Really, I would think you had found out that Godric here is only interested in being the exact opposite of me."  
"I, for one, am weary of this conversation. I am leaving," Ro strode out of the room, Helga trailing after her.  
"There you have gone and made them upset. I suppose I must go repair the damage?"  
"Yes, Godric. Leave," Sal commanded.  
Godric nodded and hurried out of the room, leaving Salazar and I alone. Salazar sat beside me on the bed, staring intently into my face. He brushed a strand of hair out of my face, and I blushed, color rising into my cheeks.  
"This makes me uncomfortable," I told him.  
"I know," he replied.  
"Why are you doing it?"  
"I cannot help it."  
"Eh? And why not?"  
"Because...you are so like her." He sighed, pulling his hand away and looking at the door.  
"Helga? Oh."  
"Yes," he confirmed.  
"You're in love with her, aren't you?" I questioned.  
Salazar answered, not looking at me, "Of course not. It was only once; one fling, nothing more. It never should have happened. She was upset; all I wanted was to comfort her. She...oh she is just so pitiful and yet, it is not so. She made me sympathize with her, but then...she pushed me away. Helga--she told me I was nothing. Said I was just a crazed young boy. I was not, though. I knew what I felt. I know what I feel. And now, you...So like her, you are. I do not know why I feel so drawn to you."  
"Neither do I. So, you're saying you slept with her, and then she pushed you away? She won't mention it?"  
"No. No-one knows except she and I. Now you, as well."  
"There's nothing I can do, is there?" I felt suddenly empathetic towards Slytherin.  
"There is, but you would not. I know. You just would not tolerate being used like that," Sal said dejectedly.  
"Like what? I'll do anything."  
"Anything? Be positive of your words before you agree. It would require some...sacrifice in the way of honour. Please, if you agree, do not turn back on your decision."  
"I won't."  
"Then--"  
"Oh my god. Malfoy! Get Snape or somebody! Quickly!"  
"What do you want?"  
"Just go do it!"  
"Fine, fine no need to be all touchy--"  
"You don't understand! Nicole, she's on the floor. She won't wake up. I think she's got a concussion."  
"What!!! No way, Potter. You go get the teacher. I'll stay and watch after her. If she wakes up, I'll be sure to mention it. Okay?"  
"NO! You are going to go get Snape NOW!"  
"All right. But if she dies, Potter, I am blaming you, and then, I'll kill you for it."  
"Right, right."  
The voices came from a distance, as if through water. As I opened my eyes, it looked like I was underwater, as well. Then, my vision cleared, and I saw Harry peering worriedly down at me. He looked far more strained than I would have expected. Oh well, no time to ponder that.  
"What the heck was that about?" I lifted a finger and pointed it wearily at the door.  
"Oh, that. Nothing, it wasn't about anything. I just thought that...oh, never mind," he shook his head, a single strand of his raven-black hair covering his pale forehead. "What happened--" he gestured at the fallen books around me and the table, which was toppled onto its side, "--to all of that?"  
"What? You aren't telling me you didn't feel it, are you?"  
"Feel WHAT?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.  
"Feel that shaking. The room was shaking, and the books fell off the shelves. Then I stumbled and grabbed onto the desk, but I fell and the table crashed onto my head. I don't know, but I...well, this old book's pages started flipping like crazy, and then it started levitating and glowing. Then all the roaring started, and the room began shaking. Like an earthquake."  
"Erm, I hate to say this, but no such thing. Nothing happened, except I heard a crash, and I ran in here. Draco heard it too, and followed me. I don't know what happened really. When he gets back--"  
There were muted voices in the hall and dim running footsteps.  
"...hurry, you...If she doesn't..."  
"...I am hurrying...If I was thinking clearly; I would think you actually cared about that Gryffindor girl..."  
"She's okay!" Harry yelled, leaning away from me to call down the corridor.  
"She is?!" I heard pounding footsteps and Draco bounded into the room, coming to kneel beside me.  
"What happened?" he queried.  
"Nothing," I choked out, before Harry could spill everything I had told him. "Nothing happened, right Harry?"  
"No--nothing happened. She just tripped and upset the desk. Nothing too catastrophic. I guess she'll be fine. It's only a cut across her forehead."  
"Then I see no reason for you to have brought me here. I was in the middle of something. Do not bother me again." Snape shot a warning glance at the three of us and turned, hurrying out the door.  
"Guys, go back to bed, I'll be fine."  
"You're sure? You don't want anything to eat or drink? Maybe a cold compress or something?"  
"Just a glass of water and a wet washcloth will be fine Harry," I answered.  
"Okay, I'll go get them, then," Harry left the room, and Draco and I were alone.  
"Are you truly all right?"  
"Yeah, Draco. I'm fine. I need sleep, is all."  
He nodded and helped me stand. I touched my forehead, feeling a sharp pang. I stopped, causing Draco to pause. He looked concernedly at me, his eyes asking me an unsaid question.  
"I'm really all right. Just tired, I promise. Nothing happened, I was being clumsy."  
"If you say so," Draco sounded a little unsure.  
"I am," I replied. I flopped down in the gold armchair, too tired to get into the bedroom. "You know what, Draco; I think I'll just stay here for a while, until Harry gets back."  
"Okay. I'll sit with you." He took the chair beside me. I rested my head on the chair back, and relaxed. My thoughts slowed, and my brain was feeling a lot less likely to explode. I closed my eyes, seeing the face of Salazar Slytherin. He had acted so...Draco-ish. Sal had looked like a twenty year-old Draco. Well, at least I knew something Draco didn't. I knew what he would look like at age twenty. Tehehe...  
"I still don't believe you, what you said," I murmured with my eyes closed. "I don't have a wizard's debt to you. You were making that up."  
"Oh, Nicole...we'll talk about it later. You're not well enough now to."  
"No, I'm serious. I don't believe it. You were just kidding."  
"We'll talk about it later, but not now."  
"Hm..." I sighed.  
Harry came in later, giving me the compress and a glass of water. I sent them away, going into the bedroom: Helga's bedroom. It was ornately decorated, with gold hangings on the wall. The bed was covered in soft golden satin sheets, with a matching bedspread. The enormous four-poster bed had heavy gold and red velvet curtains, and I was ecstatic to find clothes in the large wardrobe. They were very old-style robes, but would be fine for a couple of days. I changed into my old nightgown, from that night long ago when the Death Eaters had barged into my suite in the Leaky Cauldron. But it hadn't been long ago, had it? No, it had only been a couple of days, but it seemed like forever.  
And, with those thoughts in mind, I lie on Helga Hufflepuff's bed, and fell into a deep chasm of sleep. 


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (08)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco Snog Fun!  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust, The Golden Compass  
Summary: You KNOW what it's about by NOW, don't you?  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The Golden Compass is not my story. I used terms from it and a couple of names. Don't kill me.  
Author notes: Thanks you guys! And cheers to the mods!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers   
Chapter Eight: Intermission  
"Ugh, morning again. I hate the morning," I growled, rolling out of bed and landing with a thump on the floor. "Why does morning always have to come so soon? It feels like I got about an hour of sleep. I am going to pass out. I feel sure of it." I wondered why I was talking to myself, but decided not to question it.  
I yawned and stumbled over to the window. I threw open the golden curtains that were shielding the light. The sunlight streamed through the window, bathing me in its radiance. It still did not help to improve my mood. "I wonder if Helga Hufflepuff was always so sunny?" I asked myself with a frown. "And if she was, WHY did she have to go and decorate her bedroom sunny too?"  
This was, after all, her bedroom, or had been at one time. Had she been a downcast sort of person, I would have understood the need for bright golden curtains and a window with a great view, but I knew better. Hufflepuff had been a happy person, with no need for bright colours.  
A scowl crossed my face as I thought of the day ahead. There would be, no doubt, more explanations, pressing questioners, and most of all, more headaches. My life had too many problems. It was too complicated. I wanted death to whoever had come up with problems. I refused to believe that it was a woman who had set evil and problems loose into the world. She was a woman, and the evilest person around these days was Voldemort, who happened to be a man. Logically, it made no sense whatsoever.  
I'm starting to think I need therapy, I thought.  
No, really? my conscience returned sarcastically.   
Yes, really. You're so mean to me, you know. I've never done anything to you. Besides, I've been relatively nice to you this summer. How do you expect me to live every day with you in my head? I've done considerably well lately.  
Possibly, my conscience sighed, but it is not a fun job, being locked up, bodiless, in your mind. I wish you would try to speak to me a bit more.  
If you weren't so mean to me, then I would be, but...  
Oh, bother. I have not been rude to you, and I refuse to believe that.   
Fine, I answered indifferently. But I can ignore you.  
How in the world can you do that? I believe that last year you told me I was insufferable and if you could tune me out, you would.  
Well, if I didn't, I'm saying it now. You. Are. In-suff-er-a-ble.  
My conscience made an indignant noise and began spluttering, What?--no--of all the things--not true!  
Tehehehe, I laughed. You're so touchy. And why do we never call each other by our names?  
Because, it said slowly, as if I was stupid, you have a name, but I don't. How moronic of you.  
Sighing, I turned away from the sunlight that was flooding through the window into the room, and headed over to the wardrobe, ignoring my conscience's protests. Upon opening the heavy wooden doors of the closet, I found a selection of many old-fashioned robes. They were made for a woman, and were plain, but sensible for working. I spotted a green loose robe with a black dress-like thing to go underneath, and put it on, tossing my nightgown onto the bed. The robe and dress looked fine on me, not too flashy, not too drab. Old clothes were nice. Really old clothes were the best. The robe was comfortable, and definitely something I would keep, if Dumbledore allowed. I turned around and headed to the bureau, pulling the drawers open. Inside, I hardly found anything worth notice, but I did find a silver bracelet and large matching hoop earrings. I wore them, just because I could. So what if they weren't technically mine? They had once belonged to Helga Hufflepuff, but she was dead, so what would she care?  
I looked in the mirror, twirling around and grinning to myself. It was rather like playing dress-up in your grandmother's old clothes. However, these clothes were much older than my grandmother's old dresses. Connie, my mother's mother, was only ninety-three. Hufflepuff had lived about a thousand years ago. Very big difference. I wondered why the clothes has preserved for so long, before realising that it was most likely done by magic. My mood, though not entirely improved, had been lightened considerably. I no longer felt like I wanted to go kill someone, instead feeling relatively normal.  
I stopped twirling when I heard a knock on the door. Blushing for no apparent reason, I headed to the door and opened it. Harry was standing there, wearing a wrinkled pair of old, black school robes. Knowing that he must have gotten them from the extra supply Hogwarts kept, I stepped back and allowed Harry to come in. He walked through the door and sat on my bed.  
"So, I see you've found some robes. I had to ask Filch to get some old ones for me. He made me pet his stupid cat, Mrs. Norris, before he would even talk about getting me suitable clothes. I don't know what Malfoy did to get something to wear, but knowing him; he's most likely going to show up wearing some robe of his own from his home."  
"That's where you're wrong," I said, pointing at the door, where Draco was leaning against the doorframe wearing--  
"What it the world is THAT?" Harry exclaimed, pointing at Draco's attire.  
"They are black jeans...at least, that is what Dumbledore called them when he handed them to me," Draco said, not moving from the doorway.  
"Ew--" Harry said disgustedly, "--they're not quite loose enough."  
"Wow," I whispered, awestruck, examining Draco. His jeans were black, and tight. Very tight. And his shirt was black, formal, and it was tempting me to think things about Draco that were quiet inappropriate. I shook my head slightly, trying to clear my mind of the pictures Draco had inspired.  
"Well, obviously you're girlfriend likes them," Draco said, noticing me staring at him. "I did think this was too formal an outfit, but Dumbledore just handed it to me. Though, I do like the results."  
"What?" Harry turned to me as I looked away.  
"They look all right," I said, "but if they were leather they'd be even better. Oops, did I just say that out loud?"  
"Yes! Ew, gross mental images!" Harry yelped.  
"Yes you said that aloud," Draco answered with a smug air.  
I flushed looking at the floor. Harry was giving Draco his Glare o' Death, but Draco only smirked and continued looking at me, causing my face to redden even more.  
Finally summoning up some courage, I asked, "So, what are we going to do for breakfast?" It broke the tense silence, but did not help me at all.  
"While I was up in Dumbledore's office, he told me that Potter knew where the kitchens were and that we could get food, and eat it somewhere."  
"Okay. C'mon Harry, let's go to the kitchen and see what the house elves can get us," I said, tugging on his arm like an impatient child. "We can go outside and eat it under the oak tree by the lake."  
"Malfoy, you're coming with us?" Harry asked, standing from the bed.  
"If you can get me food, yes," was Draco's answer.  
"I can get you food," Harry answered.  
"Then I'm coming."  
"All right," Harry said resolutely.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
I carried a small jug of cider under my arm, balancing a package of sandwiches in the other hand. Draco was carrying the small, wrapped parcel that was a few freshly made pumpkin pasties. Harry carried a second jug, this one full of water, and a small basket with some snacks inside. As soon as we were in view of the oak tree, I ran ahead and plopped down on the springy turf. Draco and Harry ambled slowly after me, looking exhausted. Harry had the most to carry, while Draco had the least, but they both seemed to be wearier than I was. Draco arrived first, sitting down beside me. He set his dessert package onto the ground, next to the place where I had put my load. Harry came last, setting his burden beside ours. Then he sat on my other side, and I began handing out the sandwiches. Draco grabbed three goblets from the basket and began pouring each of us cider. I was surprised the boys were being kind to one another, but decided not to question the miracle. Besides, if I asked, they might start bickering again. Harry took the sandwich I handed him and began wolfing it down. I grinned at him and handed him the glass of cider. He took it gladly and drank it all in two gulps.  
"Whoa, Harry. No need to finish everything in the first five minutes," I chided, "You might choke yourself."  
"And that would be a tragedy," Draco gibed in a playful tone.  
Harry and I laughed, and for the first time in forever, it seemed like Draco was making an effort not to annoy Harry. I passed a snack to Draco, and then got one for myself. I drank my cider thoughtfully, enjoying the soft sounds of my friends' breathing and the occasional hoot from an owl. When I looked at Draco, I noticed for the first time how tired he looked. His milky white skin was almost translucent, and he had dark black circles underneath his eyes. Draco's hand lay on the green grass, contrasting with its colour. His cheeks were feverish, and he looked ill. This was not the same Draco I had known exactly one year ago. He was so different; his appearance, his personality, everything about him was changed. Harry, however, looked rather the same. He, too, seemed weary, though. His eyes were open, but duller than usual. It was like the spark and flare had gone from his eyes, his gaze was less piercing. I sighed, thinking how things had changed, because the certainly had changed.  
Draco must have felt my gaze on him, for his eyelids suddenly flickered open, and he looked at me. He moved his hand over mine, enclosing it in his. Draco squeezed my hand, and his gaze told me that it would be okay. He would make it that way, was what he was silently telling me. I nodded and closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the tree. I rested, glad that Draco did not let go of my hand.  
I fell asleep, and as I did, I dreamt.  
"...Then what you must do is you must pretend that you love me. The others, Ro, Godric, they will not be blind to it. They shall see us, and in turn, tell Helga. Helga will be, if I am not mistaken, possessive of me. She might attempt to scare you away from me, but do not allow her to. Until she comes begging, I shall continue to give the outward appearance of being involved with you. Sooner or later, she will tell Ro of Helga and my affair, and they will realize that our relationship was not merely platonic," Sal continued.  
"Oh. But, we'll never...do anything, right?"  
"We might," he said uncaringly, "but it would make no difference. She would only believe it further. Actually, it might even make it more believable if we did. I do not know, as of yet, but I will decide later."  
"Well, I agree, but we won't do...that. Kissing is okay. Holding hands is fine. Anything more than that is a no."  
"Agreed. We must make it look natural. So--" he broke off suddenly, leaning over me and giving me a rough kiss. He even kissed like Draco! I pulled him down, but he pulled back and crawled up onto the bed. Salazar pushed my shoulders down with his hands, and gave me another kiss. As I tried to lock my arms around his neck, he gripped my hands pressing them into the bed. It was a message: He would rule everything. I would choose nothing.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
I woke suddenly, and then realized that we were still outside. Both Draco and Harry were asleep. The sun was setting, and I realised we had been out all day. Leaning against the tree, I sighed. My dream-life was as complicated as reality. It confused me.  
I surveyed Draco, who was fast asleep, looking as peaceful as he ever could. I had a strange urge to either slap him or hug him, but I refrained from doing either, as he was asleep, and that would be mean. His eyelids fluttered, but he did not wake. His black eyelashes contrasted with his almost flawless skin, and he looked majestic and royal. How Draco managed to keep his skin so white, I would never know, but it must have been a Malfoy trait. Draco's profile was sharply outlined in the slowly-dimming light; his elegant nose, sharp yet regal, Draco's long, delicate eyelashes were beautiful, and his lips. Oh, I remembered the rapturous feeling of his lips on mine. His kiss, so exhilarating and dangerous, was one thing about Draco that I could not forget. Not that I would have tried to forget it even if I could. I frowned, thinking about my current relationships. Then, I looked at Harry. He was lying completely on the ground, except that he was using my lap as a pillow. His legs were stretched out to their full, and considerable, length. Harry's hair was, like always, messy, but in a cute boyish way. His skin was dark in the fading light of the sun, and I inspected his wrinkled clothes. I brushed away the hair covering his forehead, tracing the lightning-bolt shaped scar. As Harry slept, he sighed contentedly, and made a quiet noise. I giggled, how he would react if he knew he sighed in his sleep and wondering what Harry was dreaming. It was probably something funny, whatever it was. I stroked Harry's cheekbone with my forefinger, down to his lips. Lovingly, I bent down and kissed him softly. He slept on, unknowing of the affection I was showing him.  
I heard Draco stirring, and turned to see if he had woken. He had, but only just. His grey eyes sparkled as he saw me, and he whispered, "I fell asleep, didn't I?"  
"Yes, you did. We all did. Surprising, I must have slept for at least six hours. I still can't believe that we all did."  
"And it seems we haven't all woken up yet," Draco replied quietly, indicating Harry.  
"He was exhausted. I think he's been worrying a lot lately. So have I, as a matter of fact."  
Draco nodded sadly, but with an understanding air. "That's what you get for loving a hero." The way he said it made me sad and regretful, but I knew what he meant. If Harry hadn't been a hero, I would be less prone towards insomnia. Were Harry not the wizarding worlds' saviour, Harry and I could have been much happier. Had he not been a hero, I might not have ever noticed him. I was still glad he was mine, though, despite all of that.  
"I know."  
"Of course you do. How could you not? I see it every day I'm with you. You're weary, both mentally and physically. He is wearing you out."  
"That's not his fault. It's mine. You know it, too. He tries too much; comforting me, and all. If I weren't such an overbearing and antagonistic person, then none of this would ever have happened. All of last year, the Dark Lord's castle, Halloween, you, wouldn't have happened."  
"So you wish I hadn't ever come into your life?" he asked, his voice showing only the tiniest hint of pain.  
"Of course not. I wish I hadn't...done all of that. It was stupid, really. I could have been so much more responsible. I should have been a better girlfriend, and a better person," I said remorsefully.  
"Possibly," Draco replied, searching the ground for something and not returning my gaze.  
Harry woke then, rubbing his eyes and moving his head off my lap. He sat up and looked at Malfoy and me.  
"How long was I asleep?"  
"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "I was asleep before either of you."  
"Well," Draco began, "I think you got off to sleep after I did, but I'm not certain."  
"Bugger it if I know," Harry muttered, running his fingers through his hair. He stood and grabbed the basket.  
"Hey, we can put everything else in the basket too," I suggested helpfully. The boys murmured their consent as I stashed the two empty drink pitchers and leftovers. Draco leaned against the oak, and Harry just stood, helping me check to make sure we had gotten everything.  
We headed up to the castle at a leisurely pace. Neither Draco nor Harry spoke, seemingly too tired and stiff to make small talk. Draco pushed opened the heavy wooden doors of Hogwarts castle, standing back for me, and then Harry. I walked with my eyes half-closed, holding onto Harry for guidance. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, leaning his cheek on my head. I sighed. Life was good. For now. Maybe. 


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (09)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco Snog Fun!  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust, The Golden Compass  
Summary: You KNOW what it's about by NOW, don't you?  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The Golden Compass is not my story. I used terms from it and a couple of names. Don't kill me.  
Author notes: Thanks you guys! And cheers to the mods!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers  
Chapter Nine: Wiser Than Wise  
AquilisRose  
"Miss Stevens! Stop drawing this instant!" McGonagall's shrill reprimand caught me off guard, and my head snapped up. I was confronted with the professor's sharp gaze. McGonagall stared pointedly at me as I blushed.  
"Yes, ma'am," I answered, shoving my sketchbook into my bag.  
I felt everyone's eyes on me as I blushed again, and McGonagall continued with her lecture.  
"It's all right, Nicky," Harry whispered in my ear, wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulders.  
I nodded, and began paying attention to class. This was the first day of school, and I had just gotten in trouble for the second time today. The first time, was for poking my partner in Charms with my wand. Hey, Ernie had been kicking me under the table! I was just supposed to let him kick me? I thought not, but apparently Flitwick had disagreed.  
"So, as I was saying before, each of you will have the choice--yes, Mister Finnigan, it is optional--to co-teach a class with another student, whom you will NOT choose. Now, the sign-up sheet will be posted in your house common room. You are dismissed."  
I stood, along with Harry, pulling my schedule out of my bag.  
Nicole Stevens: Gryffindor: Sixth Year  
Monday: 8:00 Charms: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff 9:30 Transfiguration: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw   
11:00 Lunch 12:00 Care of Magical Creatures: Gryffindor, Slytherin 1:30 Defense Against the Dark Arts: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw  
Tuesday:  
8:00 History of Magic: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff 9:30 Arithmancy: Gryffindor, Slytherin  
11:00 Lunch 12:00 Divination: Gryffindor 1:30 Defense Against the Arts: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw   
Wednesday:  
8:00 Potions: Gryffindor, Slytherin 9:30 Arithmancy: Gryffindor, Slytherin  
11:00 Lunch 12:00 Charms: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw 1:30 Herbology: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff   
Thursday:  
8:00 Care of Magical Creatures: Gryffindor, Slytherin 9:30 History of Magic: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff 11:00 Lunch 12:00 Divination: Gryffindor 1:30 Herbology: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw  
Friday:  
8:00 Potions: Gryffindor, Slytherin 9:30 Transfiguration: Gryffindor, Slytherin   
11:00 Lunch  
Scanning it quickly, I said,  
"Lunch. Thank god. I think I'm going to starve."  
"Yeah, I'm hungry too. Let's go, Ron and Hermione'll be along soon, I bet. They did come to class, right? I didn't see them."  
"They were at the front...I think."  
"Right, well. We'd better hurry."  
We hurried down the stairs, towards the Great Hall. As we walked through the entrance hall, I bumped shoulders with a girl, causing her to spill her books all over the floor. I bent to help pick them up, and then noticed that the girl was Ginny Weasley. She had tears steaming down her face, and looked startled to run into me.  
"Need any help?" asked Harry, oblivious to Ginny's crying state.  
"No, go sit down," I ordered. He obliged, still blissfully ignorant as to her obvious depression.  
"What happened?" I inquired Ginny once Harry had gone.  
"N-nothing," she lied, drying her eyes on the sleeve of her robe. "I--uh. Never mind. It's really not important. No one needs to know."  
"No, what is this about?"  
"Ron," was all she would say.  
"Come here, let's talk somewhere private for a while," I suggested. She nodded and I grabbed her books and carried them for her, so she could dry her eyes. I led her up the great marble staircase, up a second set of stairs, and into an empty corridor. Then I walked to a portrait of an ivory coloured dragon sleeping beneath a silvery moon.  
"Draco Luna," I said, hoping the password had not been changed. The portrait swung open, revealing a dark corridor. I snapped my fingers and the torches lit. Ginny followed me, looking extremely bewildered. As we came near the end of the hall, I stopped and put a finger to my lips, listening. There seemed to be voices from ahead.  
"...yes, of course...I know, all right, I know...now, just let me get back to class..."  
"Do you hear that?" I whispered to Ginny.  
She nodded. And I began to creep slowly down the hall, peeking into the large common room where Snape had led us many days ago. Draco was sitting in one of the chairs, running his hand through his hair in a frustrated manner. He spun around as my companion tripped and fell, her bag clattering to the floor. Ginny picked herself up and stood brushing dust off her cream-coloured blouse.  
"Oh, it's you, is it?" Draco smirked.  
"Huh--?"  
"Yes, Malfoy. It's me," Ginny answered.  
"What do you two--?"  
"She was asking me earlier if we could pretend to be dating, so she could make Weasel mad," Draco clarified, "Silly Weasley."  
"Shut it, you--"  
"Shh, Ginny," I said. And then, "What are you doing here?"  
"I could ask the same of you, could I not?" Draco returned.  
"Draco, stop trying to confuse me. I'm serious," I stared pointedly at him.  
"Later," he stood and made his way to leave, pinching my cheek like a little girl as he passed. "I'll be seeing you soon."  
"Yeah right," I replied, rubbing my cheek. He left, and I led Ginny inside. I gestured at her to sit in the chair across from me, and she obliged gladly. "Now, what happened, Ginny?"  
"It was all Ron's fault! If he hadn't--said that...He hurt my feelings," she suddenly began sobbing into her hands. I bit my lip awkwardly; I was no good at comforting people. I had always been horrible when it came to soothing upset people.  
"Well, um, what did Ron do? I mean, can I...help you, or something?" I was unsure of what to say to console the crying girl across from me, so I waited silently for her to elaborate  
"He said--he said 'Gin, I'm glad you've stopped fawning over Harry, because it really wasn't a good thing. I mean, you don't need to be dating at so young anyways.' And then I told him that... that I liked Seamus, and he began laughing at me, saying that I must have been joking. And, Seamus heard, and just turned and...ran!" she wailed. "And Ron was wrong, I still like Harry. I still like him a lot! And he doesn't even notice--"  
She continued her rant, apparently oblivious of the fact that I was Harry's object of affection. Ginny continued wailing undistinguishable phrases and I could only sit rigid and wait for her to finish. When she had finally stopped crying, I mumbled,  
"Maybe you could--um..."  
"But, there's more," she added quietly. "Before lunch, I asked that smart-arsed Malfoy if he would play Ron the fool and trick him into believing we were dating. He laughed at me too, and told me I was a crazy weasel with curly hair and freckles."  
"Oh, dear," was all I could say. "Well, you can sit here, I guess. There a bedroom down that hall," I pointed down Hufflepuff's hall, "just don't touch the book called Historia Magick. And there's a bathroom that's really awesome, if you want to take a bubble bath or something."  
The miserable-looking girl nodded and I left her.  
She is going to think I am a heartless ice queen, I though inside my head. Why didn't I say something comforting? God, I suck.   
You're an idiot, the truth be told, my conscience returned. If you would only act like a nice person, then you'd be so much better off. How stupid she must have thought you were!  
Shut up, you. I'll bang my head against a wall if you don't.   
That'd hurt the both of us, it said.  
True, but I don't care.   
Fine by me.  
I ignored the voice again and began heading to my next class; which was--what was it!? I dug through my bag, rummaging for the schedule. It was gone.  
"What! It was here earlier, I know it! How could it have just disappeared like that?"  
I jogged down the hall, cursing my own stupidity. It was one thing to be caught drawing, but it was a lot worse not knowing for certain which class I was due in next.  
Rushing past groups of chattering friends, I thought that at least I still had time to find someone else in my house that might have the schedule. Now going at a full run, I rounded a corner, smashing into another student. I landed on the floor in a heap, all of my books emptying out of my bag. I watched from the ground as an elegant hand was extended, offering help. I hardly dared suspect, but, no it really was Draco. He smirked as I stared cautiously at his hand.  
"Really, I am offering to help you up, I wish you would just accept it, for once," Draco smiled dazzlingly, but it was a sarcastic grin.  
"No thanks," I refused. I picked myself up, and Draco began picking up my books and slowly replacing them into my bag. He slung my bag over his own shoulder, and I stared curiously at him.  
"Come on, Nicole. We have class together," he told me.  
"Oh? Well, I regret to inform you that I don't believe it. I seem to have--"  
"Misplaced your schedule," hinted Draco.  
"You stole it, didn't you!" I cried indignantly. "How dare you? You crook!" Draco held up a hand, and I saw a folded sheet of paper between his fingers.  
"You pig! Give it to me!" I made a grab for it.  
"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no...I don't think I will, you see, calling me a crook and a pig is not the right way to go about getting it," he drawled, "and I must say your manners are practically nonexistent."  
I clenched my teeth and said, "Draco, darling, give me back my schedule," I paused, "before I rip out your heart!" I lunged at him, knocking him backwards. His look of sheer amazement was uncannily entertaining. He landed on the stone, flat on his back, I on top of him. Our faces were merely centimetres apart, and I felt his quick breath on my face. He smirked up at me, his grey eyes glittering with malice.  
"Oh dear, it seems we've fallen and can't get up," he chuckled softly.  
"Shut up," I growled. I made to roll off of him, but he held me in place.  
"I still don't think you understand. I own you still. Your debt to me is not yet fulfilled."  
"Bite me," I snarled, yanking my book bag off his arm and standing up. He stood deftly, grabbing my arm and pulling my back to him. He leant down as if to whisper in my ear, but suddenly kissed my neck, biting me softly.  
"There. I bit you."  
"You better not have rabies," I muttered, wiping his saliva off my neck, "I'll kill you if you do."  
"Yes, I'm shaking in my frilly stockings," he laughed.  
"Yeah, you and Voldemort too," I gibed haughtily striding swiftly down the hall. Then, I realised he still was in possession of my schedule. I turned back, blushing, and stalked up to him as he waited for me. He offered me my schedule, and I took it, my face burning crimson. I turned and headed down the hall, aware of his eyes on me even as I hurried to the landing.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"'Ell, to'ay you'll be learnin' 'bout the Feoxi--"  
"Fee-lee-o-see?" asked Seamus, confused. "What in the world is THAT?"  
"It's not Fee-lee-o-see, it is Fee-ook-see," Hermione corrected knowingly.  
"Yah, tha's true. Now, who knows what a Feoxi is?" Hagrid asked the class.  
Draco raised his hand lazily from the back and said, "A Feoxi is a Phoenicia Moon Dragon. It is classified as a five X animal by the Ministry. In other words, it is completely and totally illegal."  
"Aye, tha's true. Unless, o' course, ya're registered by the Ministry to keep 'em. 'Ogwarts is registered," Hagrid said. "Anyone like ter see it?"  
There were murmured dissents throughout the crowd of students, and no one volunteered. Finally, the class quieted down, and I looked at Harry, who was standing beside me. He had a resolute expression on his face. I then knew what he was going to do. I tugged on his arm, saying, "If that Fooksie, or whatever it is called, catches you and you die, I am going to kill myself. Don't do it."  
"No. I have to. No one else is going."  
"All the more reason for you not to. Don't you think that if no one else is volunteering, that there's a good reason for them not to? I mean..."  
"No," Harry answered stubbornly, "and I'm not going to believe that. Hagrid," he said to the giant before us, "I'd like to see the Feoxi."  
Hagrid beamed at Harry, who managed a slight smile/grimace. "Alrigh' Harry. C'mon forward. It's tied out be'ind."  
Harry followed Hagrid, his grim determination unwavering. God, my boyfriend was such an idiot. I rallied some of the Gryffindors to go see the Feoxi, managing to interest some of the Slytherins as well. I started walking around the hut, but Draco grabbed my arm and pulled me back as the rest of the class headed to the Feoxi's enclosure, if there even WAS an enclosure. I scowled as Draco dragged me back to the front of the hut, growling,  
"What are you trying to do, get yourself killed? Potter may be a bigheaded heroic moron, but you certainly aren't. That thing isn't safe. Do you know why they're five X on the Ministry's scale? It's because they're dangerous!"  
I yanked myself out of his hold, frowning. I stared insolently up into his face, daring him to question my behaviour further.  
"Look, Draco, I really don't have time to chat. I've got this thing--it's called a class, you see--and I really must see that Feoxi. Now, I'm going." I turned and strode away, marching to the edge of the crowd that was hovering at the fringe of the Forbidden Forest. Draco did not follow me.  
"What does it look like?" I asked in a whisper to the student nearest me. It was Pansy Parkinson, who spun around and looked sharply at me.  
"No one knows except them," she pointed up to the front, "We can't see it. Now go away and leave me alone before he sees we've been talking."  
"Who--"  
"Go!" She gave me a firm shove, knocking me off my feet. I landed with a thump on the soft soil, grimacing.  
"Ow," I muttered, rubbing my hand where I'd fallen. "That hurt."  
"Oi, Nicole, come here and look at her!" Harry called from the front. I stood and pushed my way through the chattering crowd, finally arriving at the very edge of the forest. There was--was I dreaming? No, it was really there. It was like the dragon from the Founder's entrance.  
The Feoxi had opal-coloured scales, which reflected the dim, murky forest light magnificently. It was about six feet tall, and ivory smoke continued billowing from the Feoxi's nostrils. The smoke curled in thin wisps, floating into the thick canopy of trees. I watched in awe as the dragon saw me, and began slowly thudding toward me. Its footsteps, though heavy, were graceful. It stopped directly in front of me, bending its head down to look into my face. The Feoxi bumped my cheek with its own, and I felt the cool scales sliding across my skin. Too startled to move, I stood frozen as the Feoxi leaned its mouth to my ear. I was amazed when I heard, "You smell awfully like a honeysuckle blossom. What is it that you're wearing? No, never mind that. Your friend," it meant Harry, of course, "is very intelligent. It was almost as if he was expecting me. He wasn't the least bit frightened when I spoke to him. But--" thin wisps of sweet-smelling white smoke curled up into my ear, and floated into my hair, "--tell me how you think of me."  
"Um..." I paused, "you smell nice. Your smoke, I mean. And your scales, they're nice and sparkly--"  
"No, no, no," she said chuckling softly, "I meant of me, not of my appearance."  
"Oh. Well, you're very interesting. Intelligent, as well. And I think you're cool." I did not mention that she was intimidating, thinking it best if she did not think I was frightened.  
"Very well," she answered, stepping back. The Feoxi stared at me, looking over my appearance. When she seemed satisfied that she'd gotten the measure of me, she stepped away and began nuzzling cheeks with other students. I noticed that she spoke to few, and that whomever she spoke to, seemed frightened.  
As class was dismissed and every one left, the Feoxi called to me,  
"Girl! Come here."  
My eyebrows rose curiously, and I turned around and trudged back to the edge of the forest. The Feoxi was entertaining herself by blowing smoke rings into the air. I stared at her for a moment, before she looked at me and said mystically, "Be wary. There are mysteries abound and traitors underfoot. Do not be misled. There are those about you who live only to see you dead. Believe little. Question everything. I see great things for you, my dear, great things indeed. But, I warn you this, there are those who will lie to get things for themselves, and then there are those who lie for the good of others. Rare it is that I find such of either, but I see it here. Do not let your inner eye be clouded by pleasure and flattery. If you find yourself thirsty, drink not that water which you see on the horizon, but that water which is before you. When you are hungry, eat not the slaughtered beasts, but the fruit of the trees. Only the slain beasts can contain the poison. Take not what others offer, but earn for yourself. Be dependent on yourself and only yourself. Go now, and heed my warning, lest you find yourself in a dire strait."  
"Yes," I assented.  
I turned and walked back up to the castle, pondering the Feoxi's words: If you find yourself thirsty, drink not that water which you see on the horizon, but that water which is before you. When you are hungry, eat not the slaughtered beasts, but the fruit of the trees.  
What she had meant, I was not sure. But one thing I was certain of; I had better watch my back, for there were mysterious things happening that I could not begin to imagine, and if I was not careful, I would end up as countless others had: deceived. 


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (10)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco Snog Fun!  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust, The Golden Compass  
Summary: You KNOW what it's about by NOW, don't you?  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The Golden Compass is not my story. I used terms from it and a couple of names. Don't kill me.  
Author notes: Thanks you guys! And cheers to the mods!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Ten: Juice and Dreams  
Not again, I cursed as a large black owl landed on the table at dinner. It was Artemis, Draco's owl. I told him. No more presents! Why won't he get that into his head? I mean--  
You're an idiot. Look at that owl. It doesn't have a package attached. It's a note. Open it or Harry'll see it when he comes in.  
Good plan.  
I cooed softly to Artemis, who had never seemed to like me much. Stretching out my hand, I clucked again to the small bird. It hooted, hopping over the table, knocking over my pumpkin juice. Well, I certainly would not drink that now. Artemis soared over, perching on my shoulder and digging his juice-soaked claws into my shoulder. I flinched, and pretended to be pleased with the owl. I untied the letter from his foot, and Artemis took off, flying out the window.  
I turned back to the letter, slitting it open absentmindedly. Then I turned the envelope over, dumping out a letter and an opal-coloured talon. What in the world...I fingered it, inspecting it closely. It was pretty, and I wondered where Draco had gotten it. Oh no. I knew now where he had gotten it. The Feoxi.  
"He is so dead," I growled, standing up from the table and stalking across the hall. A few heads turned to watch as I stomped angrily over to the Slytherin table.  
"What's this?!" I shouted, thrusting the talon under Draco's nose. He looked at the claw in my open palm.  
"Why, it looks like a dragon claw," he said innocently, smiling benignly up into my face.  
"No, really?" I replied angrily. "You stole this from the Feoxi, didn't you? You little--! How dare you take it from her? She's a living creature! You know what, Draco. You can have your little present back, as well as a gift from me," I took his goblet in my hand, and stared into the orangey substance. I held the glass in my hand, and dropped the Feoxi's talon in. Draco watched in mild amusement as I put on the show, which served to entertain the five hundred students in the hall, as I had hoped.  
"Draco," I yelled so the whole hall could hear, "I love you so much that my gift will be one to remember!" The whole hall rippled with whispers. Draco raised one elegant eyebrow and rested his chin on his palm.  
"Oh?"  
"Yep!" I answered loudly. "Here you go!" And I poured the pumpkin juice all over his lap and his head. For a second Draco was frozen, but then he stood angrily, orange liquid dripping off his face, and his pants stained.  
"You--! My clothes, everything!"  
"Yes, love, your clothes, your hair, everything! Don't you just love my gift? It was made special. I just wanted you to remember how I felt about you, in case you forgot," I said sarcastically.  
Draco clenched his hands at his side, furious. His granite-grey eyes burned with intense loathing. I clapped him on the back, saying,  
"Lovely gift, Draco. Hope you liked mine!"  
Draco gave me a murderous look, extracting his wand and directing it at me. I stopped laughing, as did the other students in the hall. The teachers were all on their feet, but none of them dared move, for fear Draco might cause me harm. If looks could kill, I would have died on the spot.  
Draco paused for only a moment, before tossing his wand on the table and looking back at me. I hadn't moved. He grabbed my arm, dragging me out of the dining chamber, into the entrance hall. He shoved me against a wall, and we were concealed in shadow. Draco bent his head down to look me in the eye. He searched my face, looking for the all-too-clear signs of panic. I could taste adrenaline in my mouth. He pressed me full-body into the wall, and I felt trapped. I was trapped.  
"How dare you humiliate me in front of the entire school?" he breathed.  
"Well, you needed it," I answered meekly. "I couldn't help myself."  
"You need to learn how to control your urges." We weren't speaking about pumpkin juice anymore, were we? "You see," he leaned closer, our cheeks brushing, "I rarely go through with my impulses." He pressed his body harder on mine, and I felt an intoxicating rush flow through me. "If I had, then things would have happened long ago that have yet to occur."  
I stayed silent, waiting for his next move.  
"You don't understand," he continued, "and you never will. You don't understand how I feel, because you don't try to and you don't care. No," he amended his previous comment, "that was a lie. You care. I know how you feel. You love me, and I know it. I can feel your heart beating. It's quick. You're frightened. Not of me, but of what I could do--can do."  
He paused again, kissing my cheek. Then he leant his head back, and I was confronted with his calculating gaze.  
"I know what you want. I know your every desire. And each one of them includes me, in their own special way." His fingers trailed down my arm, and he put a firm hand on my waist. "Maybe--" he kissed me softly on the lips, "--I could--" another, firmer kiss, "--give you what--" tongue in my mouth, "--you want," a full-out breathtaking French kiss, throughout which my body was crying for more and my mind was screaming no. I uttered a slight moan as Draco pressed himself even harder against me, and he let his tongue travel throughout my mouth.  
"Mm..." I sighed. Draco pulled away from me, and my lips felt the loss. A soft noise escaped my lips, causing Draco to grin sadistically.  
"So, I was right then, was I?"  
"Mm," was all I could say.  
"I thought so."  
Draco stepped away from me, taking his comforting warmth with him. He still held me by the waist, and he made no move to release me from his grip. Draco caressed my cheek, softly drawing his fingertip down to my chin. He cupped my face in his hand, pulling me to him in a brief but enticing kiss.  
"Whoever says you love Potter must be daft," Draco whispered.  
"Who cares about him?" I muttered absurdly. My brain was startled by my reply, and it seemed that my hormones had taken over control. There goes cool.  
"Good question. I knew you wanted me as much as I wanted you. It was like a sugar craving."  
"Uh-huh," I answered blankly, not hearing anything he said.  
"You want me?"  
"Completely."  
"Really?" he asked slyly.  
"Yes, definitely."  
Suddenly, the front door banged open, and Harry strode in, Seamus Finnigan and Lizzie Rymon trailing after. Harry saw Draco and me, and went into defence mode immediately. Harry ran over to us, pulling Draco roughly away from me. Seamus was in a fury as well.  
"You--Slytherin! Take your hands off her!" yelled Seamus, pulling Draco further away from me. Draco smirked at him.  
"I wasn't doing anything to her that she didn't like," he said. "In fact, you can just ask her."  
Oh dear.  
"Nicole, what is Malfoy talking about?" Seamus asked me.  
"He's a liar," Lizzie answered for me. She walked over to me, and looked at Harry, who was standing at my side. He shook his head barely, and she nodded in slightly disappointed agreement.  
"Let him go back to wherever he came from," Harry ordered quietly. "Oh, and Malfoy, if you touch Nicole again, I swear your death will be my doing."  
"I'll bear that in mind, Potter," Draco snarled, yanking himself out of Seamus's grip and stalking down to the Slytherin dungeons.  
"So what was he talking about, Nicky?" Lizzie asked concernedly.  
"No, Lizzie. Go have dinner, I'll find out," Harry said, not looking at me. He seemed to have grown more powerful in the few seconds he had been here. Harry radiated a sense of extreme control, and intense command. I watched Lizzie and Seamus chatting as they walked into the dining hall.  
"Come on, Nicole. We need to talk about what's been happening," said Harry, gripping my upper arm in a gentle, yet serious way.  
"Yeah."  
Harry took me upstairs to the Founders' entrance. The Feoxi in the portrait seemed to sense that this was deadly important, and didn't even hassle us by blowing a smoke ring before opening. Harry did not snap his fingers to light the gloomy passageway, but just led me down the hall. I followed after him, trying not to cry.  
Why can't I be a normal person with morals? I asked myself dispiritedly.  
Because, then you wouldn't be so interesting, and no one would want to know about you.  
They don't want to know about me now.  
True.  
"Sit," Harry commanded as we stepped into the common chamber. I did so, sighing heavily. More explaining to do.  
"So...Malfoy again. I didn't think you would--But, no. Never mind that. Let's get straight to the point. What were you doing?"  
"I was being told off by Draco for pouring his pumpkin juice all over him," I said miserably.  
"And why did you do that? Well, I could see why you'd do that, but I want your story."  
"Well, he sent me one of the Feoxi's talons."  
"Go on."  
"And I got really angry."  
"And--?"  
"So I went over to him, made a scene, dropped the claw into his juice, and poured the juice over his head and into his lap," I explained, giving him the overview of events.  
"All right. That fits. Still, I know there has to be more," Harry said, "Is there?"  
"No, not really--"  
"Stop lying."  
"Okay. Draco dragged me outside and began saying...stuff. And, I sort of got carried away in listening, and we sort of...fell on each others' lips," I said in a high-pitched voice.  
"Excuse me?"  
"We--we kissed."  
"There's more, isn't there?" he asked.  
"A bit. See, I said some stupid stuff because--well, I don't know why, but I did. And Draco just..." I faded off, looking at the floor. "I am such a screw up," I added.  
"You didn't. Nicole, please--please tell me you didn't actually--that didn't really happen...right?"  
"Look. It happens--" Harry gave me a sceptical look, "--okay, it happened a lot. But...oh god, just--break up with me now."  
"What?" Harry asked amazedly, but then he understood and became quiet.  
"I, you know, would understand if you wanted to break up with me. After all the crap I've done, if I were you, I'd break up with me too," I offered.  
Harry remained silent, and I got up, making to leave, but Harry's voice stopped me.  
"Did you have sex with him?"  
"W--?"  
"It's one question, and the answer is either yes or no."  
"No."  
"Thank you."  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"You must be kidding me," Draco said.  
"I am not," replied Lucius.  
"You are telling me to--no way. I couldn't do it," Draco informed him.  
"You could, and you will. Son, there is no alternative. Either you kill her, or you both die. I would hate to see you come to such an end, but...The Dark Lord commands it. If you choose not to, which you may NOT DO, then he will see to it that your death is the most excruciating, torturous murder there has ever been. Do you want that for yourself? Would you like to be slaughtered in the same manner as those Mudblood slimes? I shall not see a Malfoy such as you dishonoured because of something as trivial as love."  
"I don't love that Gryffindor. She--she knows it, I know it. I refuse to murder a harmless girl because you tell me to do it. She is worthless to the cause, I can promise you that."  
"She is deadly. The girl's seeing ability is poison for the wizarding world. She belongs to the Order of the Phoenix. If the girl got hold of inside information, it would result in the ruin of us all. Do you want that? Draco, I will not have you disgrace this family. The name Malfoy still commands respect, but if you happen to succumb to that girl--and the lightness she represents--then we would all be dead. It would not matter the power of the Dark Lord, we would all be slain by the Sword of Light."  
"Yes, yes. A child's fairytale. The Sword doesn't exist."  
"Ah, naïve boy. It exists. Inside that girl, the power is. Dumbledore carries the Sword currently, but when his death comes, she will be the inheritor of it. Once that bumbling fool dies, then the girl will come to wield it. The Council--the Order--would vote. Each would see her as its rightful heir."  
"I still do not believe it."  
"Let me explain further, then. The Order is ruled by a committee of three. The current three are Albus Dumbledore, Ari Concadia, and Sirius Black. Dumbledore heads the other two. Concadia and Black are equals. Dumbledore is the wielder of the Sword of Light, currently. He could use it to destroy anyone, and anything, but he will not use it. When Dumbledore dies, the Sword will be passed to the other two committee members. They will, in turn, choose a first in command, which will be either of them. Then, the new head will choose another second in command. The second in command will not be an adult though. The soothsayer the Dark Lord spoke to seventeen years ago warned him of that. The other second in command would be a child, a girl. When the head chooses, she will be his choice. And, then, the whole Order would conduct a vote. They would decide who should inherit the Sword. This, also, would be the girl. The wielder does not always have to be the head of the Order, and this is one of the rare times that the case will be so. The girl will inherit the sword. When she does, they will give her full rights to it. She would be able to destroy the Dark Empire in one sweep, one blow. Do you understand now?"  
"I suppose so. But is there no other way?"  
"No."  
*--*  
We were spinning. Spinning in such a fast circle, our feet moving but barely touching the ground. How could we go so fast? I saw the candles flicker as we spun, and then I looked at the faces around me. But, we were going so fast that I could not see who they were. The dim lights swirled around us, and as I looked at my feet, I saw that I was not touching the ground at all.  
Now I was not running across the ground, but revolving in the air in the centre of the circle. I slowly rotated, and barely saw the upturned faces below me; they looked like dark spinning things.   
"Isbach drecon le barden mure. Cou delat mene mira. Celectia noiru ari Dagda. Morrigan cuu decepid. Pallas Athena greyle letha leda. Re cretie drem deriu Hermes," one of them called.  
"Be it that the burden can be held. The power of Light is bestowed upon you. The Dagda selects you to bear this. The Morrigan wills that you not be deceived. Pallas Athena guides you through these times. Hermes, messenger, brings you information of the world of Light," the other returned.  
"The fortune of all lies within yourself. Your burden is your gift. Your perseverance is your strength. Your intelligence is your defence," the first said.  
"It is with hope that I pass you this Sword." A soft glow began to emanate from my skin.  
"It is with trust that I pass you this Sword." I began to shine more radiantly now.  
"It is with love that I pass you this Sword." My body began to be consumed in blinding light. I could see only the light, and nothing else. I spun more quickly now, rotating in the air. I was whirling at an incredible rate; the speed of a spinning top. And then--  
I woke with a start, sweat dripping off my face. I threw back the covers and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. My feet met the soft carpet, and I sat up.  
That dream. It had been so vivid. The colours! Wow, that had really been an interesting precognition, if it was a precognition at all.  
I stood, brushing my wet hair away from my face. The sardonic red numbers on my clock read 3:00. I looked out the window, seeing stars shining down. My roommates slept soundly, unknowing of my strange precognition. Again I looked at my clock; 3:02. Deciding that sleep was a miracle bound to be impossible, I grabbed my cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders.  
Stepping quietly, I tiptoed out of the dorm and into the dim common room. The firelight flickered, casting everything in a dark shadow. Students' homework was spread out over the tables in the corner still, and the empty cups still lie on the table. I shrugged off my feeling of foreboding, continuing to creep through the common room. There were muffled voices coming from the direction of the boys' dormitories, and I paused to listen.  
"...as if! He'll never find out what we've done. And if he does, we can always blame it on her. She's the scapegoat for everything. Just try it, Ro..."  
"But, it doesn't feel right. No, don't make me. It contradicts my feelings on the matter. Just..."  
I leaned farther from the door, listening for the voices again, but they faded and I was left wondering if I had actually heard them. I shook my head to clear the fog that had suddenly entered my mind, but I became dizzy. I stumbled over to the portrait hole, yanking it open in my haste. I clambered out of the common room; feeling like my whole body was engulfed in flames. There was a clatter, and I realized with a start that the portrait had swung shut behind me.  
I stumbled blindly forward, unable to see in the darkness. My body was drenched with sweat, and I was not able to see where I was going. I tripped and fell, sinking wearily to the ground in a heap. My skin prickled as I felt a firm hand lock around my wrist and pull me into a standing position.  
"Oh god, no. This can't be happening. Not yet, not so soon." I faintly recognized the warm voice, now pained with worry. I felt myself being lifted in someone's arms, and I floated off into a dazed unconsciousness.  
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*  
"She needs a good rest, the poor dear," a woman's kindly voice was saying.  
"No--well, she does need rest, but that is not all. There is a darkness in her, I fear. We need to reclaim the goodness in her soul before she can continue life. I can't believe it has happened so soon. The first day of school, and it has all ready begun." A gentle hand brushed away a strand of hair from my face.  
"Pour this down her throat. She needs it."  
"A daemon is what she needs," the other voice argued, "though I cannot be the judge of that. We must wait for Professor Du--"  
"No, you mustn't wait for me."  
That must be Dumbledore, I thought.  
"What happened to...me?" I fumbled over the words. My throat seemed to have closed up.  
"Professor Lupin found you stumbling through one of the halls. You fainted, I'm afraid, and he brought you here to the Hospital wing."  
"All right."  
"Drink up," said the woman. She handed me a goblet of some sweet-smelling liquid. Its scent was one of comfort; lemonade and some tropical fruit. I gulped it down. It stung my throat, but tasted good nonetheless. The woman, Madam Pomfrey, scurried around the room, hustling to get me a blanket and a cup of water. Lupin and Dumbledore spoke in quiet whispers, and occasionally Remus would shoot a worried glance at me. Dumbledore finally nodded, giving consent to something I did not understand.  
Lupin strode quickly over to my bed.  
"Nicole, how do you feel? All right? Good. Well, tonight, we must--wait; let me explain all of this. Now, you are aware of your gift, are you not?"  
"Well, yeah."  
"Okay, then. You are not aware that for the past year, there have been numerous gatherings of adults here at Hogwarts. We have a committee, the Order of the Phoenix. Our Order was installed when Voldemort regained his power, and we have been slowly adding new members. Each member, you see, has a spirit animal. Actually, every human does, but only when a certain spell is performed can their spirit animal, or daemon, be seen. We would like you to join our Order. Professor Dumbledore is the head and--"  
"Join? But--" I stuttered, "but I'm only fifteen! What help could I be to the Order?" I told him nothing of the odd dream, but it worried me that if I united with the Order, then I would be in even graver danger. Able to seal my mouth for once, I sat and listened to Lupin speak.  
"You do have a choice of course. Though, if you would consider the benefits--"  
"What would I get out of it?"  
I heard a metal tray ping as it hit the floor, and I looked over to see Madam Pomfrey staring wide-eyed at me. Obviously, I was being ignorant.  
"You would help save the fate of the wizarding world," Remus told me, "and you would be working with the most talented witches and wizards in Britain."  
"I guess, but, wouldn't it be better if I stayed inconspicuous? My meaning being that if I help the Order, won't I be a better target for Voldemort?"  
"Possibly, though we keep to ourselves. None of the students know about the Order, save yourself now, and very few adults know of it."  
"Might I have a bit of time to decide?"  
"Of course, Nicole," answered Lupin, "You do not have to decide now."  
"All right. I'm tired. I need sleep."  
"Indeed you do," and he stood and walked out of the Hospital wing.  
I laid my head back on the pillow, thinking of the days ahead. Whatever was in store for me, I would be ready.  
Hopefully. 


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (11)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco Snog Fun!  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust, The Golden Compass  
Summary: You KNOW what it's about by NOW, don't you?  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The Golden Compass is not my story. I used terms from it and a couple of names. Don't kill me.  
Author notes: Thanks you guys! And cheers to the mods!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Eleven: Agreement  
"So I've come to a decision."  
"Really? And what have you decided?" Lupin asked as I sat up in the Hospital bed to greet him.  
"It's difficult for me to explain. You see, I was worried about my safety, but then I became worried about everyone else's problems too. Like, for example, what Harry goes through every day. He worries, not only about himself, but for me as well. He's always looking out for me. Then, I thought that if I told Harry about the Order, then he'd get even more worried. So, in a way, it'd be worse for me to join, but..."  
"But?"  
"But, then I thought that I'd be doing him a favour if I joined, so I was having a bit of a dilemma. And I flipped a coin, and I'm going to be part of it. I want to be in the Order."  
"Very well then. I shall tell Dumbledore and we will have the ceremony. Rest up today. One of your classmates will bring you your work." He stood to go, but I grabbed onto his arm.  
"What happened to me last night?"  
"The Coming," was all he would say. I let go of the man, and he strode out of he infirmary.  
The Coming, the way I had heard him say it made me think of coming with a capital C.  
Do you know what he meant?  
No, I replied.  
We should find out. Library time, I feel. Don't you agree?  
I guess, but he must have some reason for not wanting us--me to know.  
Possibly, but you're nosy anyway and need to find out the meaning of The Coming.  
Yeah.  
"How are you feeling today?" Madam Pomfrey's voice interrupted my conversation with my conscience.  
"Much better, thanks."  
"Are you hungry? You look it." I nodded, and she walked away, to reappear the next moment bearing a tray. She sat the tray on my lap and told me, "Eat up."  
I tasted the porridge, and found that it was not as horrible as it could be. I sipped thoughtfully on my orange juice, deep in a reverie of thought.  
If I had a daemon, what would it look like? A panther, maybe. Or, an eagle. What about an ermine?  
Do not choose your daemon yet. It is not time. Wait for them to tell you something.  
Well, who would tell me? They don't seem to care much about me, except...okay never mind. And just when did--  
"Finished? Good, child. Here, I'll take that tray." Madam Pomfrey swept away my dishes and began to go about her normal daily work.  
I stared placidly out the window, which had sunlight streaming through the panes, stretching across the bedspread. I sighed and relaxed my aching body. All of my muscles had been drawn tight from The Coming, or whatever had caused me to collapse last night. The tenseness slowly drained out of my body. I rotated my shoulders a couple of times, before deciding that I did not want to be kept in the Hospital wing all day.  
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood. As soon as I had managed to rise, my legs buckled beneath me and I was forced to sit again. The nurse saw my effort and hurried to my side.  
"Miss Stevens, do not overexert yourself. It is imperative that you remain in bed, otherwise, you will never overcome your...condition," Madam Pomfrey said.  
"Well, if I knew what my condition was, then I'd be more inclined to take it seriously. But, so far, no one has told me what really happened last night, and I'm really not enjoying being treated like a child."  
"Professor Lupin told you what it was," she argued.  
"Yeah, but I don't know what The Coming is. Tell me. Please? Madam Pomfrey, if I don't know what's wrong with me, I am going to get up and walk out of this infirmary, go to the library and find out what the hell is going on here."  
"Calm yourself, Miss Stevens. You will understand in time."  
"Bite me," I muttered under my breath. The woman shot a disapproving look at me but chose not to comment.  
I would find out. I would.  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
"Hey, Nicky. How're you feeling? I heard about what happened, and--well, Harry wanted to come, honestly, but he--er--had something important to do. But I brought you your homework." I gave Ron a pitying look.  
"Thanks Ron. You don't need to lie to me. I know Harry didn't want to come, and I understand perfectly. In fact, it's probably better if he doesn't see me for a while. And if he asks about me, tell him I'm fine. Just don't mention specifics, okay?"  
"All right, but he really, really wanted to come."  
"Uh-huh, I bet. Thanks for my homework Ron. Wait, before you leave, can you ask Hermione to come and see me? I need to ask her something."  
"Sure."  
"Bye."  
I waited for an hour before Hermione came. It was lunch time, and I had just shooed away the nurse, saying that I wasn't hungry.  
"Hello, Nicole. Ron said you needed to ask me something."  
"Yeah, I do. Will you sit down for just a minute?" She nodded and sat in the chair next to my bed. I sat up and drew my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them.  
"Okay. Here's the deal. I asked Lupin earlier today what was wrong with me, and he said it was The Coming. Do you know what The Coming is?"  
"The Coming, well, it is more of a theory than an actual thing, really. No one knows much about it. I only know of it because of my advanced History of Magic class."  
"Could you explain it to me?" I asked in a hurried whisper.  
"Possibly. You see, a few hundred years ago, there was a wizard whose name was Mortem Agdeburg. He was a renowned seer and prophet. He made a prediction that one of the greatest wizards in the world would rise again. Now, most people disagree with that, and say that Agdeburg said that a child would become one of the greatest wizards in the world. Yet another theory was that Agdeburg mentioned a child of great power who would take over the world. Again, there are disputes. Many people have forgotten Agdeburg's prophecy. So, that's about it. Oh, wait there was one more. It was that Agdeburg predicted that one wizard would save the world and bring the lightness back to it. These are all false versions of the truth, according to Professor Binns. There are even suggestions that Mortem Agdeburg never existed, so no one is certain if any of these things are true. I think much the same as Professor Binns; because there is little proof that Agdeburg actually existed."  
"Right. Thanks Hermione. If you would just copy that down for me in your spare time, I'd be very pleased."  
"Oh, I don't need to make another copy, I have three. We took notes on them in my class. I made some extras," she handed me a sheaf of parchment, "that has everything I just told you on it, as well as some extra."  
"Okay. Great work, Hermione. Thank you so much."  
She beamed proudly at me and nodded. Hermione stood up, leaving me alone in the room.  
"The Coming," I murmured.  
The Coming, my conscience echoed.  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
"Madam Pomfrey, I really feel well today. Can I go to the library? Just this once? It's been almost a week, and I haven't left bed except to go to the bathroom, and I'm getting tired of it. Please let me go to the library. I'm pining."  
"I don't think you should," she answered. "You still look pale and weak. Why risk it?"  
"Because I am going mad being locked away in here away from human contact. The only people who've visited me are Hermione and Dumbledore. How am I supposed to live with that?"  
"Well..."  
"Poppy, let the poor girl get out of bed," I looked over at the door, seeing Dumbledore standing there. "I happen to agree that she should be allowed out to go to the library."  
"Thank you!" I hopped out of bed, but immediately felt queasy. I steadied myself by gripping the bedside table. One step at a time, Nicole. One step...  
"Albus, look at her, she can hardly stand."  
"I can too stand," I defended, standing up to my full height. The ill feeling slowly drained out of me.  
"Fine, you may go, but you must be back here by three o' clock."  
"That's only half an hour. I want a full hour."  
"All right, but be back by three thirty."  
"I will," I promised. Dumbledore beckoned for me to come speak with him.  
As I approached the old headmaster, he said, "Good luck. May your search prove useful."  
I nodded confusedly and started out of the infirmary. Did Dumbledore know what I intended to do?  
I walked quickly and determinedly to the library. As I entered through the magnificent doors, I was confronted with curious looks from students. Some younger ones looked like they wanted to come speak with me, but the older students shook their heads at them. What was wrong with them? Why were they staring at me? One such group could not control themselves, and began whispering furiously at their table. I only caught vague phrases.  
"...heard about the daemon? No one knows what it is, but they say..."  
"Yes...we know they said she knows...some said she's getting one herself..."  
"..is it true, though? Could she be the missing link?"  
"...maybe, but I don't think so...doesn't look the type...I still think that whole story they fed us from last year about her being kidnapped is bogus," the last comment came from a third year girl with bright gold hair.  
I stalked proudly over to the table. The students' fearful looks would have been enough to quench my desire for their embarrassment, but I wanted to show them in person how true it was. I put my hands on their table and leaned down so they could hear me better.  
"Hello, children, how are you today? I thought you might want to know the truth about me, as you seem to be unable of keeping your mouths closed." They mouthed wordlessly at this, and I continued, "Because I feel pitying today, I won't show you the extent of my power, but you're right about the dæmon. I do happen to be receiving a daemon familiar. Only, you don't know what a daemon really is. Oh well. I am not the missing link or the eighth wonder of the world, but I was kidnapped last year. I have proof, but you see, if I showed you some of the spells Voldemort--" the blond girl screamed when I said his name, "taught me, I would get in trouble, and I don't need more trouble. Now you keep your overlarge mouths closed, or I'll curse them shut. And, if you hear any rumours about me, pass my message on to whoever is telling the rumour. I am dead serious."  
The third years nodded timidly and I leaned away from them. They all watched as I smirked at them and turned to leave.  
As I left their table, I felt someone's gaze on me. Shooting an apprehensive glance over my shoulder, I spotted my spectator. It was Draco, and he was sitting in the farthest corner. I spun around and hurried to his table. He smiled slightly when he saw me.  
"Hello," he acknowledged, pulling the chair beside him out for me to sit. I obliged.  
"Hi."  
"What were you doing with--" he waved an eloquent hand at the third years lazily, "--them?"  
"Telling them off for spreading rumours. They need to learn it early, or I'll end up hurting each and every one of them."  
"Yes, well, they're cretins. Have you finally been released from the ward?"  
"No. I get an hour here."  
"An hour...lots of time. So, word's gotten around: You've broken up with Potter."  
"No, no, we haven't broken up, we're taking a break."  
"Well, how about you spend your break with me?" Draco asked suggestively.  
"No, I really can't."  
"Yes, you really can."  
"No, I really can't."  
"Don't make me force you."  
"Don't make me hit you," I threatened.  
"You couldn't hit me hard enough."  
"Wanna bet?" I asked.  
You know you want to kiss him, my conscience told me.  
No duh, dumdum. But I won't. I won't.  
Yeah right. I'm right next to those nerves that control movement, you know. Even if you didn't want to, I could make you.  
You're joking.  
I'm not, said my conscience.  
You wouldn't dare!  
Wouldn't I, though?  
Shush.  
"You know I could change your mind," he whispered.  
Yeah, you and everyone else here, I thought.  
"Draco, I hate to be rude, but...no way. I'm not going to fall for this. I actually came here to do some work--"  
"You'll do work, just not schoolwork," Draco said. "I won't take no for an answer."  
"Hey, I've got an idea. I know you'll take HELL NO for an answer!" I stood and walked away, going straight for the autobiographical section. Draco followed me into the deserted aisle. He pulled me to him, and slipped his hand down onto my hips. His grip was so tight that I could not move.  
"Hell no isn't a choice, either," he whispered.  
"Too bad, it'll have to work."  
But Draco refused this as well, and let me know it by bringing his mouth down on mine fiercely. At first, I was adamant that I would not under any circumstances let this turn into a French kiss, but my conscience followed up on its threat.  
Without warning, I opened my mouth to Draco's and allowed his tongue to roam throughout it. He, of course, took full advantage of it. Next thing I knew, Draco had gently slid one of his hands barely up my shirt, and I felt his fingertips on the small of my back. Draco pressed himself against me and I tried not to let his forcefulness sweep me into a delirium. He had other plans; in fact, he wanted me to be swept away by the passion. Draco pulled back from me to inspect my face.  
"No isn't the right answer," he hissed dangerously, "and well you know it."  
And well you know it, I mimicked inside my head.  
"Let me go, or I'll scream."  
"That's what I am planning on."  
"I'm serious."  
"As am I."  
"Let me go."  
"Why should I?" he queried.  
"Because I have a mind to knee you." That worked well. He stepped away from me and strode haughtily away, looking frustrated.  
I turned around and began looking for an autobiography about Mortem Agdeburg.  
"Aha!" I exclaimed quietly, seeing a book called The Coming that was by Mortem Agdeburg. I pulled the small, yet thick book from the shelf and flicked through it. It was perfect. I headed to the librarian's desk, where Madam Pince was sitting.  
"Good day, Miss Stevens," she greeted. "And which book might we have today?"  
"The Coming," I answered nonchalantly. "I was also wondering if there was a book about daemons. Do you know if there is?"  
"Why, yes," she answered, looking startled, "it has just been checked out."  
"By whom?" I asked politely.  
"Mister Malfoy arrived about five minutes before you, and checked it out."  
"Is there another copy?"  
"No, I regret to say. That book was popular when I went to school here, and the other books were worn out. I apologize."  
"It's not your fault," I said. "But could you tell me when it's checked back in?"  
"Of course."  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
"Oh, Sal! Stop it!" I felt his soft kisses on my neck.  
"Mm?" Salazar asked, his voice muffled. He leant back and looked into my face. Sal touched my cheek tenderly, bringing my mouth to his. Slytherin's breath was warm on my face as he exhaled. Sal set his hands on my hips tightly and lifted me in the air, bringing me above him. He swung me around and set me down gently on the bed. I laughed girlishly, as I had not done in many years. Salazar seemed to take heart from my giggles, and lay beside me on the downy bed. He wrapped his arm around my waist and drew me to him. I snuggled against his chest and listened to his soft breathing. Sal's breath stirred my hair, which was tied up into a bun.  
"I think I am falling for you," Salazar whispered.  
"What?" I asked contentedly, not listening to what he had said.  
"I am in love with you."  
"Are you joking?" I asked, laughing frivolously.  
"No," he said quietly, "I am serious."  
I pulled away from his chest to look him in the eye, but Salazar wouldn't make eye contact with me. Raising my hand slowly, I touched his face, causing him to look at me quickly. As our eyes met, mine azure, his pearl-silver. Sal gave me a confused look, asking a silent question. I lowered my gaze, unwilling to speak, but Salazar wouldn't be having any of that. He tilted my face up to his.  
"Do you feel the same way?"  
"I don't know," I confessed.  
"Decide."  
"I can't."  
"Why can you not?"  
"Because this isn't real," I answered softly.  
"Then it is not real. But let us be happy. You would be contented with me, I am certain."  
"But this isn't real," I argued. "It wasn't supposed to end this way."  
"No, you are correct. This was not what I had expected either. Just marry me this Yule."  
"Marry you? How--"   
"Please accept."  
"All right," I agreed.  
"Thank you, you will not regret it."  
He hugged me to him in a tight embrace and kissed my head. Sal smoothed my hair, and rested his chin on my head.  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
"You are being released," Madam Pomfrey said stiffly the next morning, on the first Saturday of September.  
"Really? Great!" I hopped up from the bed and went to change into some of the clothes Hermione had brought me. Once I had changed, I packed away all my homework and books and made to leave.  
"Bye Madam Pomfrey," I called to the nurse, "thanks for everything!"  
She nodded and I ran out the door. I hurried downstairs into the Gryffindor hall. Speeding up as I reached the hall, I slid to a stop in front of the portrait. The Fat Lady was in the frame, watching me with mild interest.  
"Good day," she welcomed.  
"Hi. Lapis Lazuli," I told her the password.  
"Have a good day," she waved me inside. I ran through the entrance and was confronted with stares from the students sitting inside the common room. Hermione was chatting carelessly with some younger students, no doubt informing them of one of her classes. I headed over to their table. Hermione heard me coming and looked up, attracting the attention of everyone else in the group.  
"Hi, Hermione. How're you?"  
"Moderately well," she answered, "and you?"  
"Better, now that they've let me out of the Hospital wing. I can't believe they kept me that long! Where's Harry? I need to talk with him."  
"Oh he's not here right--"  
"He's in his dormitory!" a boy said proudly, beaming because of his knowledge. It was Colin Creevey.  
"Oh, really?" I shot a look of pure venom at Hermione. She shrugged at me.  
"He didn't want you to go look for him. He needs some 'alone' time."  
"Humph! We'll see about that! I can't believe..." I muttered.  
As I stomped up the staircase to the boys' dormitories, I receive odd looks from the people in the common room.  
"What are you staring at?!" I cried accusingly. They immediately turned back to their work.  
I continued up the staircase, treading heavily. When I arrived at the door that said 'Sixth Year: Boys' Dormitories', I pounded on the door. There was a burst of laughter from inside the room, and I heard someone walking to open the door. Seamus pulled the door open, and I glared at him.  
"Harry's in there, right?"  
"Erm, yes," Seamus squeaked, running past me. I saw Dean's face, full of laughter, look up at me. When he saw who it was, he hopped up from his place on his bed and ran out. Ron wasn't in the dormitory, nor was Neville, so I knew it was just Harry and me. I tiptoed in quietly and then, for a loud sound to startle him, slammed the door behind me.  
"Who is it?" Harry asked, and I could tell from his voice that he had been laughing.  
"It's me," I answered in a sugary-sweet voice. Harry's eyes widened and he stared at me like I was a ghost.  
"N-Nicole! What are you--?"  
"What, can't I see you? I mean, after all--"  
"But, how did you find me?" he asked incredulously.  
"Power of deduction," I spat.  
"Erm, now's not the best time," he said worriedly.  
"And why not?"  
"Because."  
"Oh. Let me guess: you are too busy laughing to spend a little free time with me," I scowled.  
"No. No, of course not, but...It's nothing." He blushed as I penetrated him with my cold and furious glare.  
"You're lying to me," I informed him.  
"I am not!"  
"You are," I argued. "And I'm betting it has something to do with another girl, as I doubt much could make boys laugh like that without a big secret." I was referring to the loud laughter I'd heard as I'd knocked.  
"No, no," he blushed again, his voice rising in pitch, "we were laughing at...Ginny's fight with Ron."  
"So, even though I know that's not the truth, I do know that Ginny has to be involved with it," I was thinking of how I often mentioned something that related to the truth when I was lying.  
"She d-doesn't," he stammered.  
"Oh, but she does."  
"If I tell you, you'll kill me."  
"Then tell me, and I'll kill you quickly, but if you don't tell me, I'll kill you slowly."  
"But--"  
"No 'buts', the truth is all I want," I told him.  
"I--slepwitgin."  
"Excuse me?"  
"I--I slept with...Ginny."  
"You what?!" I screamed.  
"I. Had. Sex. With. Ginny," Harry said slowly. "Do you understand now?"  
"Oh my god," I stuttered, "ohmygod. Not true, no. Can't be. How could it be? Not true. No. No. NO!!!!"  
"I'm sorry, but I..."  
"You have no excuse for that!!!" I yelled. "Does Ron know?"  
"No. Oh god, don't tell him. I'll do anything. Just don't tell Ron. He'll kill me. He will. I'm serious."  
"I am going to tell him," I said stonily, turning and heading out the door. Harry grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back, turning me around to face him. He gave me a hard kiss.  
"Stop!" I pulled away from him. "I know where your mouth has been! Don't think you can stop me telling Ron, because nothing you say will change my mind! That's illegal, Harry. Just FYI, but she's only FIFTEEN!!! It's ill-e-gal!"  
Harry's eyes widened.  
"You wouldn't tell him."  
"I am." I turn and ran down the stairs. Small tears were dripping down my face, and all I wanted to do was tell Ron what had happened and find someone to cuddle with.  
"Hermione where's Ron?" I asked her, brushing away my tears.  
"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.  
"Not too much," I lied, "but I need to talk with Ron."  
"He's somewhere around here. He's probably in the library; at least, that's where he said he was going."  
"Okay," I nodded and ran out of the common room.  
I was running the whole way, so within five minutes, I was skidding to a halt in the library. I immediately spotted Ron's bright shock of Weasley hair. He was sitting at a table, running his hand through his hair. I darted over to him.  
"Nicky, what's wrong?" he asked confusedly once I'd stopped in front of his table.  
"You're not going to like it, but," I lowered my voice, "I just found out that--Harry and Ginny, they had sex."  
Ron's look was of complete shock.  
"They didn't have sex together, did they?" he asked.  
I nodded.  
"I'm going to kill them," he declared in the same tone that I'd had told Harry I was going to tell Ron.  
"Please do."  
Ron didn't say anything more; he just stood and walked out of the library as if he were in a daze. I followed in his tracks, but once I was out in the hall, I turned and made my way down into the entrance hall. I saw some Slytherins emerging from the Potions passageway, and I waited for them to pass before hurrying into the stone corridor. I saw a platinum-haired boy at the end of the hall, and jogged up to him. Draco surveyed me coldly.  
"What do you want?" he asked suspiciously.  
"Right now I want nothing more than to kill Harry, but this will have to suffice for the present moment. Look Draco, invite me in and we'll talk. You'll enjoy what I have to say."  
"Fine. Lamia," he said to the bare wall. It slid back, and he led me inside. No one looked twice at me. Draco took me down a stone corridor, and turned into a room on the left. I walked in, and saw the room from my previous dreams.  
"Sit," Draco instructed me, pointing at one of the chairs before the fireplace.  
"Okay," I sat in one chair, with Draco across from me.  
"Now tell me why you're here."  
"I'd be delighted. Well...you see, I got out of the infirmary today, and I went into the common room. I asked Hermione where Harry was, and she said she didn't know. Then one of the kids said he was in his dorm. I figured out that Harry had told Hermione not to tell me. So, I ran up there and everyone but Harry left. I found out that while I was in the Hospital wing, he had slept with Ginny Weasley." Draco chuckled softly at that.  
"Go on, I think I see where this is going."  
"Okay, so then I went to the library and told Ron that Ginny and Harry had had sex. He was so mad, he went somewhere saying he was going to kill them both."  
"I see."  
"I can't believe he'd do that to me," I whispered, silent tears beginning to fall.  
"Come here," Draco said pityingly. I let him pull me from my chair, onto his lap. Draco wrapped his arms around me, and I snuggled against him, listening to his steady heartbeat.  
"Can I stay here?" I asked timidly. "I don't want to go back to the Gryffindors."  
"Of course you can stay," he answered.  
"I'm sorry for turning you down before."  
"It's all right."  
"Thanks," I said. I laid my head on Draco's shoulder, trying to ease my sadness at losing Harry. Draco smoothed my hair, soothing me.  
"I won't do that to you," he promised, "Not ever."  
He hugged me tighter, and we didn't move from that position for a long time. 


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (12)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco Snog Fun!  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust, The Golden Compass  
Summary: You KNOW what it's about by NOW, don't you?  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The Golden Compass is not my story. I used terms from it and a couple of names. Don't kill me.  
Author notes: Thanks you guys! And cheers to the mods!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Twelve: Together  
I awoke lying next to Draco's sleeping form. Blinking, I recalled all that had happened the previous day; Harry and Ginny. I shuddered at the mere thought.  
I looked out the high window and saw silvery-blue moonlight flooding through it, casting everything in a sad light. Moving closer to Draco, I felt extremely relieved that, though Harry and I were no longer together, Draco was here for me. I inspected Draco's features, in awe at how different he seemed while sleeping. His lips, usually curved into an elegant smirk, were now relaxed into a half-smile. His beautiful silver hair was still sleek, but slightly tousled. I gave him a gentle kiss on the lips before lying down again and trying to sleep. However, my restless heart would not allow me to sleep.  
I lay for an hour, staring up into the green canopy of the bed.  
I am lucky he even let me stay with him tonight, I thought.  
Yes, that is true. My, he really is gorgeous while he sleeps, isn't he?  
I know.  
How could you not?  
I snuggled against Draco's side, and when he wrapped his arm around me, I realised with a start that he had woken up.  
"Hi," I whispered, looking up into his face.  
"Hello. Have you slept?"  
"Yeah. I woke up a while ago, and I couldn't get back to sleep," I answered quietly. Draco nodded.  
"So, how have you been? I know that we've spent the last couple of weeks together, but you never speak openly to me," Draco said.  
"Oh. Well, I don't ever speak to anyone. Harry--" I faltered, tears welling up in my eyes.  
"It's okay," Draco comforted, tightening his arm around me.  
"I don't know how I've been. It's seemed like a dream to me, all of it. But, I've been feeling cagey, like someone's going to attack me, or something. And then, there was the whole business with Ria and Harry."  
"What?"  
"Ria was seducing Harry, and I caught them in her bedroom. She had been kissing him, and her shirt was half-off, and Harry's shirt was gone altogether."  
"You're honestly telling me that Potter cheated on you twice and you stayed with him?"  
"Well, he stayed with me after all the stuff that I did," I became quiet.  
"Yes, but you never slept with anyone."  
"So you've been keeping tabs on my love life, have you?" I asked playfully. Draco grinned and kissed my forehead tenderly.  
"Not necessarily. I just paid attention to who you were with and things like that. It's just--"  
"Draco," I interrupted, "can you keep a secret?"  
"It depends if I think that it is for the best," he said, before asking, "Why?"  
"Because I have something to tell you that you can't tell anyone else, because it'd put everyone in danger."  
"All right. I won't tell anyone."  
"I am joining the Order of the Phoenix. It's a committee of Light wizards. I get to have a daemon," I informed him.  
"Really? That's not good."  
"Oh? And why not?"  
"Because you'll be in danger. If you think Voldemort won't find you just because you're in the Order, then you are sorely mistaken Nicole. He will find you, and when he does, he'll kill you. Do you want that for yourself? I don't. I can't protect you from him. Potter, I can protect you from, but Voldemort I can't. I have no power over him. My father works for Voldemort. Sooner or later, my father'll figure out about us, and he'll tell Voldemort. I know I'll be in trouble then, I know we both will, but that's a chance I'm willing to take. However, if you're going to go be heroic like your idiot ex-boyfriend, then I can't risk it. I would do anything for you, but don't ask this of me. I'm begging you, Nicole, don't join. You will be in even more danger if you do, and I don't know how I'd live with myself if you died."  
"Draco, I've already agreed. It's done. I can't change it. I promise I'll be careful, and I won't waste my efforts. I'll be so much more useful. You see that, don't you? I can promise you that we'll spend every spare moment together, and then some. I won't get absorbed in the Order's business, I can assure you. And I know that Voldemort and Lucius will find out, and I don't care," I said, holding his hand in mine and kissing it, "I don't care about them. I'm serious. If I had one wish in the world, I'd wish that we'd be together and that Voldemort was dead."  
"That's two," Draco whispered vacantly.  
"Two of what?"  
"That was two wishes, not one," he answered in the same listless way. I stared confusedly at him. Why was he acting like this?  
"So what?" I gave him a quick kiss and reassured, "It'll be okay."  
"Mortem Agdeburg," Draco whispered.  
"You know about him?" I asked suspiciously.  
"He wrote a book. I heard Binns talking about it one day when I was skiving off. It was called The Coming. It had to do with some stuff. I heard my father talking about it one day. He said it would bring about the end of Light."  
"I have the book, I checked it out," I told him.  
"Oh no. I understand now. Follow me," he stood and pulled on his clothes. "Hurry," Draco ordered as I sat up, staring amazedly at him. I nodded and hopped out of bed, slipping on my robe. Draco pulled open the door.  
"Do I need to bring The Coming?"  
"Yes. Quickly now. I'm serious."  
I grabbed my book from the chair and followed Draco as he sprinted down the hall. I ran after him, down the hall into the Slytherin common room, out the entrance, into the potions hall. Once we were in the hall, Draco stopped and grabbed my hand. He pulled me along, as I jogged to keep up with his set pace. I ran into Draco as he stopped suddenly.  
"Damn!" he cursed quietly.  
"What is it?"  
"They've got teachers watching this hall. Idiots. They don't know what they're doing. Come here," Draco pulled me to his side. He led me into the shadows, past Snape, who was looking irritable. Draco instructed me to follow him through the shadows.  
We headed past a creaky suit of armour, which creaked at us as we passed, but in the darkness, it could not find us. I spotted Ravena Sinistra striding quickly through the door of the Great Hall. I had never seen the school so busy at night.  
As we passed the doors to the Great Hall, Draco stopped and peered all around us. He seemed to be searching to see if a teacher was lurking in the shadows. There was no one, so he gestured for me to go ahead of him. We were soon standing before the front doors.  
"We have to go outside. It's going to be a bit cold."  
I nodded silently and trailed after him as he barely pushed open the door and headed outside. I slipped through the door, closing it softly behind me.  
Draco held my hand and we snuck down the lawn. I heard a bush sway in the cold breeze, and jumped. But I soon realised that it really had been the wind. I ran ahead to catch Draco up. We stopped at the edge of the forest, where the Feoxi was lying, awake. She appeared to have been waiting for us.  
"Hello, girl. You are here again. And, Mister Malfoy, good-night. It is nice to see you again."  
"Thank you for the talon," he said.  
"What? You gave him the talon?" I asked confusedly.  
"Yes, dear," the Feoxi answered.  
"Oops," I blushed, looking embarrassedly at Draco, who shrugged.  
"Asriel, do you know about The Coming?" Draco asked the Feoxi.  
"Yes," the Feoxi answered slowly, "I have known it was beginning."  
"So, you're name is Asriel?" I asked the Feoxi.  
"Yes," Draco snapped irritably. "Nicole has a book written by Mortem Agdeburg, it's about The Coming. Nicole, open that book and look for some odd symbols."  
I agreed and began flicking through pages. Passages jumped out at me:  
It was said by the Mages that no such Coming would occur. Little did they know what I saw in the Orb of Fate. Had they seen what I have seen, each Mage would know that I speak the truth. My words are not fictitious. If only...  
They believed me not, and I was forced into hiding, for they would never accept my prophecy. When The Coming occurs, they will see for themselves, and be confronted by its wrath. The old fools in the council do not know how difficult living shall be once it has begun...  
I stopped flicking through the book, seeing no symbols.  
"So?" Draco asked expectantly.  
"Nothing," I replied.  
"Give it to me, and I'll look," he grabbed the book from me and rifled through it.  
"There's nothing there," I told him, "I'm serious. I looked from front to--"  
"Aha! Here, Nicole look at this," he returned the book to me, and I looked down at the page. It said:  
Rely on that which is seen by your inner eye. The Coming shall occur, and when it does, the whole world will fall to ruins. There is one chance; if the Mage Child of the Orb, the one saviour from the ANCIENT COUNCIL, chooses to wield the Sword of Light and Dark, then there shall be a chance for survival. If the Mage Child of the Orb refuses to cooperate and wield the Sword of Light and Dark, then the earth will fall into the murderous hands of a Dark Lord; should that happen, no soul or daemon shall remain to salvage this earth from the wreckage.  
"Draco, I can read this. You must be blind or something."  
"What? You can read it? Well, read some of it to me, and I'll see if you're telling the truth."  
"'Rely on that which is seen by your inner eye. The Coming shall occur, and when it does, the whole world shall fall to ruins. There is one chance; if the Mage Child of the Orb, the one saviour from the ANCIENT COUNCIL, chooses to wield the Sword of Light and Dark, then there shall be a chance for survival. If the Mage Child of the Orb refuses to cooperate and wield the Sword of Light and Dark, then the earth will fall into the murderous hands of a Dark Lord; should that happen, no soul or dæmon shall remain to salvage this earth from the wreckage.' Happy now?"  
"Is she--?" Draco broke off, staring at the Feoxi.  
"Yes, she can read it. It is the speech of the Seers: Oraclyb. No one but a true seer could read that. I, for one, can read Oraclyb." (or-uh-clib soft i sound.)  
"So, what, I can read Oraclyb? How is that possible?" I wondered aloud.  
"Yes. So, back to your reason for being here. Why do you need my assistance?"  
"Okay, well, I dunno why Draco wanted to come, but I have a question about The Coming. I woke from a dream the other night, and I stumbled out of bed for some reason. I walked downstairs and heard voices, but I don't know who they were. I went out into the hall, and fainted. When I woke up, Professor Lupin told me that what had caused me to collapse was 'The Coming'. I don't understand."  
"Oh, yes. I do know about that. In Agdeburg's prophecy, he said that the Mage Child of the Orb would be drained of his power. In essence, the force that is being summoned into this world would begin to drain the Mage Child of the ability to see in the Orb. Though, as I understand it, no one ever thought that it would drain his ability to see in other ways," Asriel said with a sly air.  
"Oh! Then, you mean--"  
"Yes, the dream you had was a vision."  
"But, how can that be? And I could probably see in the orb if I tried," I said defensively, "but I just don't want to right now."  
"Look up at the moon, and tell me what you see," the Feoxi ordered with authority.  
I raised my face to the full orb of the moon. Its milky light washed over me, flooding over my face and casting it in silver light. The moon shone down on the forest around me and bathed everything in a natural blue-silver. As I stared up into the black abyss of the night sky, my eyes sought out the moon and became transfixed upon its creamy disk. Disordered thoughts rushed into my head. They were...voices! And they were screaming and crying, crying for the sake of the world around them. The voices were lost in the void of space, never to be returned to life. There was a rumble, a crash. Then a shredding sound. The sky was still whole, but the ripping sound continued. It was as if someone was tearing the boundary between this universe and another. I was unable to take my eyes from the large circle of light, but I did not see it. All I saw was light, a terrible, foreboding light that was slowly creeping toward me. I cried out in fear, and felt someone's arms lock around me from behind. I yelled again, kicking as I was pulled away from my fixed spot. There were strong hands on my shoulders, turning me around to face the person. I still saw only the light.  
It was not until I was shaken roughly that I saw Draco's anxious face peering down at me. He tightened his grip on my shoulders, and I relaxed immediately. I suddenly felt weak, leaning against Draco for support. He wrapped his arms around me and held me to him. As we stood there, I slowly regained strength, but it was not my own strength. The strength that was in me was powerful and commanding; terrible, yet great. I stepped away from my concerned friend and gazed up into his face; our eyes locked on one another's.  
"What just happened?" I asked Asriel, not taking my eyes from Draco.  
Finally unable to stand the stare-down with Draco, I unhappily wrenched my gaze away from his face and stared at the Feoxi, who was standing alertly.  
"The Coming is becoming more intense. It will continue becoming worse until...you go into a coma. There is very little anyone can do for it, but I can contribute something to your cause," Asriel said deeply. She thudded toward me and bent her head down to look into my face. Asriel whispered, "I promise this will not hurt."  
I nodded with my eyes closed. There was a whoosh and I felt a warm breeze engulf me. Curiously, I opened my eyes and looked around me. She had blown her fire onto me. The fire itself was gone, but my skin was as milky-white as Draco's, and I was glowing with a radiance such as only the moon possessed.  
"There," Asriel stated, "you are protected by my Oplicybical flame. I do sincerely apologise about the glowing, but it cannot be helped. My flame will suffice to keep you feeling strong for a week; two at most. I cannot repeat the process more than once. Use this time well. I wish you the best of luck in your fight. You," she added, "must go now; the sunrise is in an hour."  
Draco nodded, grabbing my hand gently. He waved once at Asriel as we headed toward the castle, and we began our slow trek back. As we reached Hagrid's cabin, I apologised quietly, "Sorry if I kicked you earlier. I didn't realise what I was doing."  
Draco glanced at me worriedly, "I know. That's what Asriel told me. She knows more than any of us, and I suggest that if you need anything, don't go to Dumbledore for it. Go to Asriel. She will know the answer."  
"Okay. Draco," I suddenly thought of something, "why are you helping me?"  
"It's what friends do," he answered seriously. Leaning my head on his shoulder, I thought of everything that had happened.  
I reflected on what Draco had said. It's what friends do.  
Yes, I thought, it is.  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
"Nicole, wake up. Come on, you have to go back to the Gryffindor dorms and change clothes."  
I stretched in Draco's large four-poster and sighed contentedly.  
"This would work," I said, waving my hand at his room. "You, me, here. It'd work."  
"I'm glad you think that. Now get out of my bed and go change clothes. Unless, of course, you'd rather go around today in clothes that you've worn the day before; you might start a trend."  
"Oh no," I laughed, "not another one."  
Draco smiled at me, his face showing every sign that he was elated that I wanted to stay with him. He lie beside me on the bed, and caressed my cheek softly.  
"I wouldn't mind if you stayed," he whispered.  
We both jumped when the silence was broken by a loud knock on the door. Whoever was outside obviously didn't care whether they had permission to come inside or not, because the door suddenly opened and Pansy stepped in, calling out the door, "I'll be right there, Mark! I'm just checking on--oh my god!" Her shriek caused me to jump again. I scrambled away from Draco and toppled off the bed. Pansy squeaked, dropping her book bag.  
"Pansy, don't freak out," I said slowly, picking myself up and dusting off my wrinkled robes. "It's not what you think."  
"How do you know what I'm thinking?!" she hissed loudly. "Draco, how could you? With a Gryffindor nonetheless! She--well, we all knew you fancied her, but no one thought that you'd take it to this extreme."  
"Pansy," Draco said coolly, "Nicole and I did not sleep together. She didn't want to go back to the Gryffindors."  
"Oh, well, I don't believe that," Pansy screeched.  
"It's the truth," I acceded, "we really didn't do anything. I just hate all the other Gryffindor sixth years now."  
"Oh? Well, why is that, Miss I-Get-Around?"  
"It's private, Pansy, and if you don't get out of my bedroom, I'll tell Snape," Draco defended me.  
"I already plan to inform him of your little--ugh, I can't even say it!" she turned on her heel and began to stomp out of the room. But Draco's next quiet statement stopped her in her tracks.  
"You know you can't. If you do, I suppose I shall tell him of your affairs with Mark Nott. How do you think he would react to that?"  
Pansy slowly turned around.  
"You wouldn't dare!" she spat venomously.  
"But wouldn't I?"  
"Fine. But, you must promise not to tell Snape about Mark and me."  
"Agreed," Draco said proudly. Pansy nodded and stomped out. Once she had, Draco collapsed back onto the bed.  
I walked over to where he was lying and sat beside him.  
"I'm going to go shower, and change into something else, and then I'll come back down here and we can spend the day together making fun of the other Gryffindors. Okay?"  
"Sounds perfect," Draco said, bringing my lips down onto his and giving me a soft kiss.  
I stood, Draco following, and I ruffled his hair as I passed. Draco wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and pulled me back to him, giving me another kiss, this time on my lower neck.  
"Hurry," he whispered, letting me go. I smiled at him and walked out of the room, hurrying down the hall and into the Slytherin common room. As I got to the exit, two bulky boys blocked my way; Crabbe and Goyle.  
"Excuse me, boys, but I need to leave. Would you mind stepping aside?" I asked politely, giving them my angelic smile. One of them shook his head, while the other just gave me a blank stare.  
"No," said Crabbe, or maybe it was Goyle; "we're not leaving 'til you tell us what you've been doing with Draco."  
"Well," I paused, "I'm just hanging out with him. We're best friends. And if you don't move out of my way, I'll tell him that two boulders are blocking my way." They stared uncomprehendingly at me.  
"I don't believe that," Crabbe/Goyle said, "Draco would never be friends with a Gryffindor."  
"Draco!" I called loudly; there was no one else in the common room, so no one was there to stare at me. I heard footsteps in the hall and turned to see a curious Draco walking into the room. He came to stand by me.  
"You called me?"  
"Yes," I answered. "The boulders are blocking my way, and they won't move."  
"Crabbe, Goyle, get out of her way," he ordered sharply.  
"No, Draco. We can't. Your father gave us strict orders not to--"  
"Excuse me?" Draco asked in a dangerous whisper. "Whom do you serve? My father or me?"  
"We have orders," was all Boulder one said. I think it was Goyle.  
"Look, I came here last night to tell Draco some things that he would need to know, and that's the story."  
"All right," said Boulder two, moving. I thanked Draco and walked out of the Slytherin common room.  
As I jogged out into the large chamber that contained the doors outside and the doors into the Great Hall, I saw Harry. Alone. Score one for me!!!  
I walked purposely past him, knocking shoulders with Harry. He turned to me and his eyes widened.  
"Where were you last night? We were all--"  
"Worried?" I asked spitefully.  
"Yes."  
"Well, you needn't have been. I stayed the night with a friend."  
"Who?" Harry asked, clueless.  
"Oh, no one you'd be particularly interested in. Just a certain Slytherin sixth year who's always been close to me." I put my hand over my heart dramatically, staring adorably at Harry.  
"Malfoy," Harry said sourly. "I should've known."  
"Yeah, you're right. You know, I'd think you'd be with Ron, but, oh yeah, you screwed his sister!"  
Harry blanched, gulping.  
"You don't need to yell it."  
"I do though, it makes me feel better." Harry scowled as I turned around, flipping my hair in his face. I held myself proudly as I walked up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. Being mean was so cool!!!  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
I went up to my dorm and grabbed a fresh skirt and shirt. There were a couple of people in the common room, but no one I bothered with. As I passed by the message board, there was a sign-up sheet for co-teaching a class. I grabbed the quill that was fastened to the board and scrawled, 'Nicole Stevens, Gryffindor, Sixth Year'. Then I re-pinned the quill and made my way down to the bathroom.  
I pushed the bathroom door open and peered around. There was no one else there. I stepped into the nearest stall, which was more like a room, than a stall. It had a large bench carved into the marble wall, and the showerhead was made of a pearly stone. I shed my clothes, tossing them into the hamper, where the house elves would wash them and return them to me.  
Turning the tap, warm water sprayed from the showerhead. To me, the water felt freezing. I twisted two knobs, and the water heated up and became perfume-scented. The warm water flooded off of my smooth (and still glowing) skin. It dripped down my back in a spray of hot water. I ran my fingers through my soaked hair, before pouring shampoo into my hands, and rubbing it into a lather. I washed it out in a hurry and began the same process with the conditioner.  
Once I was finished, I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel from the rack and drying my hair. Then I towelled off, grabbing my clean clothes from the counter. Slipping them on and tossing the wet towel into the hamper, I sped out the door and made my careful way down to the Slytherin common room. It would probably be better if I did not run into Boulders one or two again.  
"Lamia," I said to the bare stretch of wall that led to the Slytherin dungeons. The stone slid smoothly past, and I strode boldly through the common room. A couple of Slytherins gave me malicious glares, but no one else even noticed me. Most of them were too self-absorbed to pay attention to the atmosphere around them. I quickened my pace as I reached the hall that led to Draco's bedroom. (He got his own because he was a prefect.)  
I pushed open his bedroom door, and was immediately greeted by Draco, who had seemed to be waiting anxiously for me. He told me to sit down on the chair in front of the fireplace. I agreed, curious as to what he had planned. Draco leant against the nearest bedpost, and surveyed me.  
"I was thinking about last night," Draco began, "and, while I still think that you should not join the Order, I am willing to take a chance that my father will kill me for it. So, I assume The Wonderful Potter knows you're not with him anymore?"  
"Yeah, he knows, all right. And he'll know it better later today, but--go on."  
"Now, I hate to have to repeat this again, as I have said it numerous times before but," he shrugged nonchalantly, "I suppose I don't have another choice. I don't want to draw this out any longer than I have to, but I need to be sure that you aren't going to be surprising me with secrets about you all the time. So, first off, I remember that your birthday is on the thirty-first of October, and that you're turning sixteen this year. Second, I know your favourite subject is Divintion, because you can slack off. Next, your favourite colour, if you have one?"  
"Blue," I answered.  
"All right, I will remember that. Your favourite holiday?"  
"My birthday."  
"Okay. That's all I need to know. Well, there's something else, but I figure you'd think it too straightforward of me to ask. So, I won't ask it."  
"What is it? I'll tell you anything," I paused and reconsidered. "Well, I'd tell you anything within reason."  
"Are you a virgin?"  
I laughed loudly. "Is there a particular reason you'd like to know?"  
Draco blushed, "No! It was just...a question. I mean--"  
"Yeah, I'm a virgin. Anything else embarrassing that you need to ask me?" I asked.  
"No. So--"  
"So, I get to ask you some questions now. Your birthday is when?"  
"Well, I turn seventeen this year. In November, actually. The twenty-ninth of November," he said.  
"Good. Then, what's your favourite class? And don't tell me its potions, because I might have to kill you."  
"Then I'll lie and say I like charms."  
"All right. Favourite colour?"  
"Black."  
"Virginity status?"  
"You can't--no. I won't answer that," Draco said obstinately.  
"You haven't, have you?" I asked, my voice full of glee.  
"I have," he said.  
"Oh, and with whom?"  
"If you must know, when I was fourteen, before you came, I went to the Yule Ball with Pansy, and we sort of--snuck up to the Astronomy tower, because it was empty--and, well...Never mind. It's not important. That's all you need to ask me, I assume?"  
"Only one other thing," I stood slowly, Draco watching my every move. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Do you believe in true love?"  
"I have since last year," he proclaimed.  
"So have I." 


	13. Chapter 13

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (13)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco DarkMark  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, The Golden Compass, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass  
Summary: Nicole must deicide between what is right, and what is easy. There are 'mysteries abound and traitors underfoot'. Nicole must not be decieved. If she loses her head, then her life is lost along with it, and her love.  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Any spells in "..." are owned by Patricia C. Wrede. I adjusted their purposes to suit my need. Some names (Asriel) are taken from Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' series. I do not own the said name, only the character to whom the name belongs.  
Author notes: Thanks to the mods for their speedy uploads! I've counted less than one day in-between when the chapter is submitted and when it is uploaded. You rock! Okay, okay, maybe the football-game emotional high is a bit strong.  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviews. I really need them! I leech off of reviews. If you want nice writing, leave nice reviews please.   
  
Also, I am currently working on chapter 16, and I see no end in sight. This should be MUCH LONGER than the first. Don't expect it to end like you think. And, none of my characters are related to ANY of the founders. They merely resemble them. Please brand that in your mind.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Thirteen: Pensive  
"Sal, you know she is not a normal witch! You cannot marry her, you cannot bed her, and you most certainly cannot love her!" I heard Godric Gryffindor's exasperated ranting through the bedroom door. I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes.   
Salazar's pillow had a depression in it from where his head had lain. I threw back the silken bedspread soundlessly and tiptoed over to the door, which was only barely open. There was candlelight flooding in through the door crack. I peered cautiously through the crack between the doorjamb and the wall. Sal was standing in a defending stance, as was Godric. They were both looking extremely frustrated.  
"You have no choice as to who I choose to marry! In fact, I shall choose everything on my own now, and whoever decides to contest that shall face the consequences. Now, away Godric, before I lose my temper!" Salazar gave his rival a glare, his stony-grey eyes alight with fury.  
"I refuse to allow you to rule this school! Ro and Helga will not tolerate this!"  
"Do not bring any more women into this! The bare fact is that Nicole never should have been included in this discussion anyway! You are a fool if you believe that Helga and Ro are both madly in love with you. I know the truth! I know more about Helga than you ever will! I know how her kiss is, how her skin feels under mine, and how she pleads! Every niche in her body, I know! And you tell me I am naïve? I am not. Yes, it is true that we have bed together, and I feel no regret for those nights I spent with her. You cannot tell me I know nothing of women! Nicole is young, naïve, and unknowing of the pain she will feel because of love. It is one of the reasons I love her. Helga is a very different matter! She has bed with many others! And you say Ro and she are your toys alone? No! Indeed it is not so! How you manage thinking that, I have no idea, but I do know this; she will damage your pride, your ego, with her poisonous love. It is tainted. Helga's lovers never come out on top! They are disenchanted once they have bed with that woman! Nicole is still true. She is still chaste, if you wish to call it that. Nicole is uncorrupted! Do you not see that?"  
"Salazar, the serpent lies within them! They are women! Women are surreptitious! They are consorts with the dark powers! How can you be so foolish as to think that this Nicole is the one you love? It is untrue, and well you know it! If she told you once that she is chaste, then dismiss it as a lie! I know fair well that Helga is deflowered! How could I not? It is known throughout the land. Now, Ro is, in every respect, completely pure. Innocent, though, she is not. I know these facts well."  
"I have no more convictions to share, Godric, and I do not wish to speak any longer. Get out of my quarters."  
"I will not," refused Gryffindor.  
"Do not force me to throw you out, for you will regret it."  
"All right," Godric conceded at last. He turned on his heel and strode boldly out of the room. I watched as Sal took a wineglass from a tray on the table. He held it in his hand for a moment before spinning around and throwing it at the door I was crouching behind. It shattered upon impact, and I shrieked loudly as the glass fell into a pile on the wooden floor. Salazar heard my cry and burst into the bedroom. The door's force was enough to cause me to fall down onto the floor, which became covered with glass from the pile in the next room. I cut my palm on a shard of fine glass, as Salazar inspected me on the floor. His look was one of cold fury.  
"How much did you hear?" he exclaimed.  
"N-Nothing," I stammered, cowering at his feet.  
"Liar! You heard it all, did you not?" His voice became quieter.  
"N-no," I whispered.   
"No?" he knelt on the ground next to me. His voice became a whisper, deadly and venomous.  
I shook my head. Sal grabbed my wrist, yanking me onto my knees. I yelped as the slices of glass cut my knees.  
"You should not have lied to me," Sal whispered. I whimpered.  
Salazar pulled me to my feet. I backed away from him in fear. Salazar wrenched me back.  
"Possibly Godric was correct," he hissed, throwing me backwards. His shove was enough to send me reeling. I fell onto my back, being cut by the glass. Sal towered over me, scowling down into my face. I stared at the floor.  
"What do you have to say girl? Are you afraid?"  
"I hate it here," I muttered quietly.  
"Do you, now?" he asked with deadly wickedness.  
I nodded minutely.  
"Pity," his voice was cold. Salazar's hand shot forward, grabbing my hair, which was loose, flowing over my shoulders. He jerked on my hair, yanking me upward. I stood up painfully.  
"You love me."  
I nodded, though it was a lie.  
"You will wed me."  
I nodded again.  
"And you will bed me."  
Another nod.  
"Good. Now go to sleep. We will speak in the morning."  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Morning. Time to go to class...Ugh, I don't want to go," I complained. Draco looked up at me from the bed. He lay with his feet on the pillow, lying on his stomach to look at me.  
"I empathise."  
"Where is my skirt?" I asked him.  
"Over there. You tossed it over there, at least." He indicated the chair. I looked, and, sure enough, there lay my uniform: skirt, blouse, socks, everything.  
"Oh, yeah." I grabbed them and began to take off Draco's black shirt that I had borrowed. Then I remembered he was in the room, and stopped.  
"Cover your eyes," I ordered.  
"You haven't got anything I haven't seen before," Draco pointed out.  
"No, but..."  
"C'mon, lighten up. You probably changed in front of Potter loads of times. It's not a huge secret or anything. You have a chest, big deal."  
"Fine." I took off his shirt and tossed it at him. I slipped on my uniform shirt and skirt, finally adding the black robe over it all. Last, I put my hair up with a pencil and picked up my schoolbag. Draco surveyed me from the bed.  
"You're eating lunch with me, right?" he asked.  
"Duh," I replied.  
"Good. See you later," he waved goodbye to me as I strode out of his bedroom. Life was good. That had been the second night in Draco's room, and everything had worked out fine. No one had bothered us at all. Of course, last night had been considerably more enjoyable than the previous night; the night I had cried myself to sleep in Draco's arms. (Get your mind out of the gutter, people! They did NOT sleep together! Yet...No, seriously. They won't.)  
I walked through the Slytherin common room. No one even bother to raise their head. I hurried out of the room, jogging down the potions corridor and into the entrance hall, where students were scurrying into classrooms.  
I headed up the stairs into the charms classroom. Flitwick was hustling around the room, handing out sheets of paper. I looked at mine at he thrust it at me. A pop quiz on the stuff we had studied the previous week. I frowned at the solitary piece of parchment, thinking of the difficult questions I would surely have to answer.  
"All right, class," Flitwick began, "there is--" but a knock on the door silenced the dwarf. The door opened and Severus Snape stepped in, frowning at the students.  
"Miss Stevens is supposed to come with me," he said to Flitwick. The class all stared blankly at me. Harry looked back at me from the front row. I ignored him and kept my gaze on the Potion Master.  
"Why, yes...of course. You may take her," Flitwick said in his high-pitched voice. He did not look extremely pleased that I would have to miss his oh-so-lovely pop quiz.  
Snape nodded and gestured lazily for me to follow him. I picked up my bag, shoving my parchment inside it. Snape tapped his foot impatiently on the floor as I did. I gave him a glare, before he turned and strode out the door, with me following. Snape led me up to the fourth floor, where the headmaster's office was. He stopped before the stone gargoyle and said, "Bubblegum-Lollipop." I sniggered as Snape said this and received a sharp look from him. The wall behind the gargoyle slid past, and Snape walked into the room behind it. I followed him in and looked at the slowly spiralling staircase that disappeared into darkness above. The wall slid shut with a snap, as Snape stepped onto the first stair. He indicated for me to do the same, so I obeyed, merely because if I was heading up to the headmaster's office anyway, I might not want to do more damage than I had surely done already.  
The stairs stopped at a landing, where Snape and I both disembarked. He knocked once on the door, which opened immediately. I walked in, and Snape said, "Dumbledore will be back momentarily. You are to sit and wait here until he comes."  
I nodded, ignoring his words. I sat in one of the chairs that were situated in front of Dumbledore's desk. During the waiting, I tapped my foot, hummed a tune, and even mentally studied for the test in Flitwick's class.  
As I sat, a beautiful music reached my ears. It was faint, but coming steadily closer. It sounded amazingly calm, and yet fiery at the same time. Just as the music reached such a loud intensity that I could hardly bear it, it stopped, and a huge fire-coloured bird flew in through the open window. I watched as it soared inside, landing on a golden perch behind the desk. I watched it cautiously, but it looked friendly enough. I stood from the chair and made my way over to the bird; a phoenix. It sung one note of its song, before flying from its perch over to my shoulder. I stood still, amazed at the peculiar behaviour of the phoenix. It squeezed my shoulder with its talons, before taking off again and soaring over to one of the large cabinets that surrounded the huge room. A funny noise was coming from inside. It was a whirring sound, and I stared curiously at the bird, which was sitting atop the cabinet and looking pointedly at me. I took the hint and pulled open the cabinet door, which had not been closed properly.  
Inside was an aqua crystal ball. I looked through it, but, unlike a normal crystal ball, it was completely clear. I stared into it, trying to conjure the mental state that I used whenever I was looking into the crystal ball in Divination. I saw nothing except the glass. I stared into it again and saw something behind the orb. It was a wooden bowl, nothing more that I could tell. I gently moved the turquoise orb out of the way, and dragged the weightless wooden bowl forward. I stared into the bowl, seeing a substance that could have been liquid air, or possibly fluid light. There was nothing in the substance, whatever it was, but the fluid was constantly moving. It swirled around the basin, never splashing above a certain point. I reached down my finger warily, but soon found that I wanted to touch it more that I had known. I dipped my finger in, and immediately wished I had not. There was a loud whoosh, and I was sucked into the bowl.  
I was in the middle of a clearing. It was, without a doubt, the grove of trees outside of my home. I was sitting on a bench, next to one of the handsomest men I had ever seen. He had short, black hair, and amber eyes. The bench we were sitting on was in the front, and I saw an altar where the trees began growing. Underneath the altar, a couple was standing with an older man. It was Dumbledore.  
He looked no younger, but...Who was that man? And that woman? The man, why, he looked exactly like Harry! But, no. When he looked out into the crowd (there was a crowd, I noticed; three rows of benches, each filled with people), I saw that the man's eyes were blue. He was wearing dress-robes, and was looking extremely delighted at something. Beside him stood a woman; she had long, flowing red hair that tumbled in waves down her back. Her eyes...Harry's eyes! Somehow I knew instantly that these people were Harry's parents. Where was I? Dumbledore spoke. I jumped as his voice rang through the clearing.  
"Hello everyone! I am pleased to see all of you have made it. We are here, in Godric's Hollow, to celebrate and unite this couple. Whoever has an objection to this union should speak up now, though I doubt that any complaint will be heeded by our couple." No one spoke, and Dumbledore continued, "Then, James, do you take Lily to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and health till death do you part?"  
"Of course I do," answered the man, James. He sounded sooo like Harry.  
"And do you, Lily, take James to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and health till death do you part?"  
"I do," Lily answered. James smiled down at her.  
"Then, I now present Mr. and Mrs. James Potter!" Dumbledore called. "You may now kiss the bride."  
James folded Lily's veil back, and they kissed, with much hindrance from the veil. Lily finally just tossed the veil into the crowd. The man beside me caught it, and put it on his head. I laughed, along with the rest of the crowd. Everyone became noisy, and a small man came up to the bride and groom, just as the man beside me stood and made his way to the front. He and the man reached the couple at the same time.  
"Peter!" the amber-eyed man called jovially as he saw the man.  
"Sirius," replied Peter.  
"What are you doing here? I thought you were off on Ministry business," Sirius said. That was Sirius Black?!?!  
God, Harry's godfather is--was--sexy! Ook, I did not just think that.  
"Hey, I want to take a picture of you," Peter said to the Potters.  
"Sure!" both Lily and James replied.  
They dragged Sirius into the picture, smiling. Peter said, "Say amnigibigie!"  
"Amnigibie," the three friends tried to say it, but ended up just laughing. Peter took the picture and thanked them.  
"I really must be going now. I will come back whenever I get the time," Peter told them.  
They waved him away. I sat on the bench and watched the Potters' murderer walk away from the altar.  
"Miss Stevens, I think it is time for you to go back to school," I heard Dumbledore's voice. I looked beside me and saw him sitting there.  
"But--how did you? Oh, I'm sorry, I just...the bird," I stuttered excuses.  
"It's not a problem," the headmaster replied, "I know Fawkes led you here. Follow me back to Hogwarts. Just close your eyes." I did so, and heard a whistling. I landed with a thump on the floor of the headmaster's office. I stood and went to sit in the chair by Dumbledore's desk.  
"I called you here for many reasons, but the first reason is because of your dispute with Mister Potter. I would not pry into your private affairs if I did not think that it contained some piece of vital information. Could you inform me of what happened? I have spoken with Harry, though he would say nothing," Dumbledore said.  
"He screwed Ginny Weasley," I muttered angrily.  
"Excuse me?"  
"He had sex with Ginny Weasley," I clarified.  
"Oh. Yes, I had heard about that. Now if you would please inform me of the whole story?"  
"Well, when I got out of the hospital wing..." I told him the story, except I left out the visit to the Feoxi. "So, that's about it. Is there anything else?"  
"Yes, in fact. You have, undoubtedly, been told by Professor Lupin that Sirius Black is--" I sighed thinking of the handsome man I had seen, "--being held captive by Voldemort. I am uncertain as of how to go about getting him out," Dumbledore admitted sadly, "but I know there is a way. Mister Black cannot live for much longer, I have been told. If you know anything, anything at all, I would very much enjoy to hear it."  
"He's in Malfoy Manor," I answered, "I know that much. I was told by...a friend. He's okay, I think. But, I don't know for sure how to get him out. I think--a trade. Oh my god," I had just realised something, "he doesn't want Black. He's a game piece. It's like chess! Sirius is the pawn! He can only move one place, but he can still take pieces. I'm the queen. That's it! I'm the queen! I can take anyone and force them to move, but...I'm also the piece the other colour wants to take out. So, if...is there a way to make a bargain with them? The Death Eaters, I mean. Like, could I...pretend to be a spy for them, or something? It would work; I have the Mark. No one would refuse me entrance to their hideouts. I could slip into Malfoy Manor, and get Sirius out and...but how would I get there?"  
"Nicole, that is preposterous. I cannot allow you to put yourself in danger; not without the proper protection. There would have to be certain...No. It is too dangerous," he shook his head sadly, removing his glasses and rubbing them with a handkerchief.  
"It isn't," I argued, "I don't care if I do have a grudge against Harry, if I could get Black out, I'd do it. I wouldn't be doing it for Harry, I'd be...ha! Harry and I! We could work together! What if--what if we both joined the Order? We would be protected, and we could have an escort of a few witches and wizards. Then, I would pretend like Harry was my prisoner, and I had been spying for the Death Eaters the whole time. It'd be risky but..." my mind was whirring as I thought of all the possibilities.  
"Harry cannot be put into that sort of danger. Neither of you can. His parents entrusted me with his safekeeping, as you might have seen in the Pensive. Go to class now, and I shall call for you when it is time."  
"Wait, Professor. I have two questions. First, what is the Sword of Light?"  
"It is a sword that gives the wielder extraordinary powers. And?"  
"How does this all tie together?"  
"We will all know when it happens," he answered. Our session was over. I stood and walked out the door, my mind buzzing over our conversation. I needed to speak with Harry. And quickly too, before someone else got to him first. There was a traitor underfoot, and I could not find him. But I would. I must.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Asriel!" I called. When had the night ever been so cold?  
"Yes, child," the dragon's low voice came from inside the forest.  
"I need to know...how this all fits together. This is one great puzzle, and I understand none of it. How does this all work out? I see it, and yet I don't see it. It's here, but it's not."  
"Even I do not know the answer to that question. I have a feeling that this shall end, for better or worst. I do not know who shall come out on top, but I feel it too. I see it, and I do not. It is a burden, often. The gift of second sight is not always a gift, but I do not give up faith in it. So, child, all I may tell you is that you have a part to play yet, though I do not know if you will do it for good or evil. I know not how this shall end, but I do know how this began. It is too long a story for you to hear now, for it would take many days and nights to explain to you every aspect of the tale. I will however, inform you of this; the traitor you sense, I sense it too. It will be someone you do not expect. No one will think to question him. It is so blatantly clear, but I shall not reveal. I cannot show all ends. I know not if he knows what he is doing. It may be that it is unintentional, but he is setting himself up. In his doings there are secrets, and in his life, there are twists. He is unsure of where to go, who to turn to. He has lost something dear to him, and longs for it back. Until he fulfils his desire, nothing will quench his thirst for vengeance. He will hurt the one who took it, and in turn, injure himself. I cannot say more, for I know not who it is, only what is felt inside. Go now, and ask me nothing more. I am being affected by The Coming, as well. My voice cannot be wasted on speaking a riddle. I cannot explain this person's mask of lies, for that in itself is impossible. Even he does not know the truth of it all. Go now."  
"May I ask you one more question?" I asked tentatively.  
"One, yes." Asriel seemed weary. Her voice was hoarse, and her eyes glittered no longer.  
"Does Draco love me?"  
"Ah, that. I wish I could say for certain. He is confused, but I believe he does, yes. After all, he transferred some of his own power into you to keep you alive during this time. The Coming. It affects him too, but he does not show it. The boy took your pain, at least part of it, onto himself. He is weak now too. Do not pressure him."  
"He gave me some of his power?" I asked amazedly.  
"Yes," the Feoxi answered, "when you were out here the other night, and staring at the moon as I had instructed, he realised you were being drained, so he gave you some of his strength. He hardly even had to think about it. He just acted."  
I nodded, waving thanks and goodbye to the dragon as I walked back up to the castle.  
What was going on here? 


	14. Chapter 14

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (14)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco Sword  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust  
Summary: Things get odd. Harry's supposed to be OoC here. Don't worry. Ginny is not nice. Who knows what else?  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The Golden Comapss, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass do not belong to me. They were written by Philip Pullman. The name Asriel and the word 'daemon' are taken from his books.  
Any spells in '...' were written by Patricia C. Wrede, who wrote the Enchanted Forest Chronicals.  
Author notes: Thanks to everyone! you've been so nice to me!   
Thanks to the Mods.  
I will have NO MORE FLAMES in my forum. If you choose to flame my work, be prepared to have your post deleted. I do not tolerate flames. Understood? Good.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Fourteen: Tom  
"Harry!" I ran to catch him up.  
"What do you want?" he asked coldly as I ran up to him and skidded to a stop.  
"I want you to help me with something."  
"What? Do I need to help you find anything? Maybe a sense of forgiveness?"  
"Possibly," I answered, "but I'm not really looking for a sense of anything. I just need you to help me and join the Order of the Phoenix. You see, if you want to get Sirius free, then you need to join. I'm sure we could--"  
"Where is this we stuff coming from? A day ago, you would have sold me to Voldemort rather than work with me. Why the sudden change of heart? And don't you dare tell me that you are doing this for me, because I know it's not true."  
"I don't want anyone to die, no matter if I have a grudge against you or not. C'mon, it's not like I'm asking you to bare your soul, or anything; I'm just asking you to go to Dumbledore and ask him if you could join the Order. How big a sacrifice is that?"  
He looked down into my face with disdain. His eyes were hard, and it chilled me to stare up at him, my pleading gaze only returned with scorn.  
"What would I get from it?"  
"Um..."  
"Listen, if I get what I want, I'll agree. If I don't, I won't. It's as simple as that."  
"Well, what do you want?" I asked, hopeful it was something attainable.  
He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest.  
"I want you. You've never been mine, not fully. You've always had part of your heart reaching out for Malfoy. That one little piece is what I want, along with all I had before. If I can't have that, then I don't want to become one of the Order. Take the deal or leave it, it's your choice. Now that you have Malfoy, how much are you willing to give up for my agreement?"  
I became rigid. Was this not something I had planned for? No, I thought, I knew I hadn't believed that he actually would want me. But, then again, why would he? I had thought he might ask for money, or something like that, but I had never reckoned on Harry wanting me. Well, some distant part in my mind might have thought about it, but I had not consciously considered it.  
"Take it or leave it, Nicole. And hurry, I don't want to be late for class."  
I paused. "O-okay."  
Harry grinned sadistically down at me.  
"This is going to be enjoyable," he whispered. His words were as icy as a winter day. They inspired fear in my heart.  
"I-I have to go. I need to--do something."  
"No. You're going to walk to class with me, and you're going to sit by me. And at lunch, you'll sit by me. At Quidditch games, you'll cheer for me, and when I win, you'll leap for joy and we'll snog."  
"Mphrg," I whimpered.  
"Now come on." Harry took my backpack from me and slung it over his shoulder, and then wrapped his arm around my waist. We began walking to History of Magic. I was shaking from fright. If I couldn't tell Draco what had happened...?  
Harry and I walked in the classroom door. People seemed amazed to see us together. Well, I was with them on that one. Even I was amazed to have Harry's arm around me, though I was not happy about it. When had I ever been unhappy to have Harry's affection? But, no, this was not affection, this was ownership. It was comparable to lustful desire, but far more deadly.  
Harry led me to a desk in the back of the classroom, letting me out of his grip and pulling out my chair for me. I sat, for I was not willing to test Harry's limits yet. I did not wish to know what might happen if I refused to sit by him. Harry sat close beside me. He laid his hand on my leg under the desk, and I shivered with loathing. I had never truly believed I could loathe Harry, but it was so. I longed to slam my knee up into the desk, crushing his hand, but I did not dare to. Possibly there was an alternative?  
"Look happy," Harry whispered in my ear. I forced a grin, trying not to clench my hands on the desk. It was so difficult to fake.  
"Good day, class," greeted Professor Binns, "I hope you have prepared yourselves for today's lesson, for today we are learning about the four founders of Hogwarts. Please pay careful attention to their relationships with one another."  
I had to endure the whole class with Harry. He never once took his hand from me. I tried to pay attention, but it was impossible.  
"Now, your homework is to write an essay on the founders. Two feet long by next week."  
There was a murmur from the class, as we all packed up. Harry took my bag again, and we began to walk out the door. I heard footsteps behind me as we exited, and turned my heard to look. Draco was standing by the History of Magic doorway, looking crestfallen. I tried to pull away from Harry, but he turned to see what I was looking at, and as he saw Draco, Harry smiled cruelly at him and kissed me on the cheek.  
I felt close to tears. This was so wrong.  
I want Draco, I sobbed in my head.   
Kitten, I know you do. Just go along with Harry for a while. It will be all right, I promise. I won't torment you about this.  
"Harry, I have Arithmancy next. I'll see you at lunch."  
"All right. Stay away from Malfoy."  
I did not answer. I just walked away to class. Draco was in Arithmancy with me, I could explain what had happened when I saw him. Surely he would understand. He knew--he must--that I loved him. How could he not? If Draco would not listen to me, how was I to live?  
I could not live with Harry. He was not acting...normally. He was behaving brutally, and I knew that something had to be wrong with him. It was like he had switched bodies, or something. What had happened to the Harry I had known during the summer? Certainly he was still the same! But, his behaviour was uncanny. Harry Potter, the kind loving boyfriend, never treated anyone as atrociously as he had now. How could he be so cruel? There was something wrong with this picture, I knew it; but I just had to find the missing piece.  
I hurried into the Arithmancy classroom, scanning for Draco. He was absent from the mass of sixth year students. I could skip class, but what good would it do me to wander around and never find him? I knew Draco, and I also knew that he would never leave to a conspicuous place. I definitely would be unable to find him if he was seeking solitude. But I had to talk to him!  
I pushed all thoughts aside as I sat at one of the back desks. The teacher was late.  
I want to die, I fumed in my head. I don't deserve to live. How could I do this to Draco? How could I betray him? Well, it wasn't right, I see that now, but how am I to get him back if I can't find him. What if he doesn't love me after all? Wouldn't it be piteous of me to sob over Draco like a child sad over spilt milk? Wait, what am I thinking? He loves me, I know! I KNOW. He told me soooooo many times. I don't doubt him. No, no. If Harry wants to hold my promise over my head forever, then so be it, but he will NOT cause Draco anguish! I won't allow it. I promise.  
Way to go, dear, my conscience cheered. That'll show him. Now, just get up, walk out of the classroom and find him. Draco will understand. It didn't sound so sure. To tell the truth, I wasn't sure myself.  
I nodded to myself, standing and grabbing my backpack from the table. I dashed out of the room, unnoticed by the other students. Once out, I paused, wondering where to go.  
"If I were Draco, where would I go?" I asked myself.  
Outside.  
"Good thought." I began to walk stealthily towards the front doors. If anyone saw me, I would go straight to the headmaster's office again.  
I tiptoed past the other classes that were in session, only pausing when I heard McGonagall's exasperated voice through one of the doors, yelling about turning humans into ferrets.   
I wonder what that's about, I mused as I passed.  
I don't even want to know, my conscience replied.  
I continued, going down the great marble stairs and finally coming to stop at the front doors. One of them was open. I took this for a good sign, and pushed it open all the way. A huge gust of wind blew in through the door, and I raised my arm to shield my eyes from the dust. I ran out the door, slamming it shut behind me. Draco had to be here somewhere.  
Asriel. Go to her now. She will know the answers, the voice of my conscience said.  
I agreed and began to jog down the slope to the forest. The wind rose and fell; there was a storm coming. This was going to be a big storm. Bigger than last year's great storm, when I had broken my wrist. However the weather, I would find Draco. If it caused me to be struck down by lightning, then so be it. I did not care.  
I reached the forest just as a bolt of lightning shot through the sky. There was a resounding crack of thunder following the burst of light.  
"Asriel!" I yelled over the howl of the wind. I heard no reply. Venturing closer to the trees, I repeated my call. Still, there was no answer. I saw light flash through the sky, thunder rumbling instantly after it.  
Seeking shelter, I stumbled into the forest. I had never been inside the forest, and never wished to be again. It was dry beneath the trees, yes, but much mustier. It smelled dusty, like the library.  
As thunder rumbled through the sky, I smelled the distinct scent of burning...something. There it was again! And singing, too, I now noticed.  
"Heyaheloika! Leyohakoiea emanhealahaka! Deaheyolaeikoaea!"  
"What is that?" I whispered to myself.  
"It is," the wind hissed in my ears, forming words, "we are...come to us, my child. Come. It is time. Pick up the broken pieces of your life. Give yourself to us and we shall heal you. Allow!"  
I smelled another waft of fragrant smoke that was drifting through the trees. It was sweet and pungent, like the fumes in Trelawney's tower, only more distant. I tasted it and smelled it at the same time. There was another enticing breeze of the fumes, and I found myself steadily tracking the direction from which it came. I began walking towards the source of the wonderful fragrance.  
As I neared, the scent became more intense. It burned my nostrils and seared my lungs. I tried to wave the smoke away, but it was too dense to be repelled by such meagre defence. It billowed from--what was that? It seemed like--but it could not be! No possible way was there a...temple. But that was indeed what it was. There were two towering stone pillars before me, each with a snake carved into it. There was a set of marble steps leading up to the pillars, and I delicately tiptoed up the steps. At the top, where the pillars began, marble floor stretched out. I saw clearly that the room had no walls, only pillars and a ceiling. All the columns were of white marble, and I noticed how the ceiling arched near them. It was a sight to behold.  
In the centre of the room, I saw an alter. On it was a lighted chalice, two silver candlesticks with burning candles, and a stick of smouldering incense. I stepped lightly into the room, inspecting everything with caution. As I reached the middle of the room, I saw a small black book lying on the ground, discarded. I bent to pick it up, but heard a warning.  
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," the voice sent shivers up my spine, and I turned slowly around to face the man. But before I could, he said, "Then again, if I were you, I wouldn't have ever come here in the first place. You should have known better, to be sure. However, since you are here, I shall make use of your presence. Tell me, now. Who are you and what is your intent?"  
I turned slowly to look at the intruder. He had raven-black hair and glittering turquoise eyes. I stared rapturously as the man seemed to glide over the marble to the altar. His footsteps were light and airy, but they had an ominous air. He seemed too graceful to be real.  
"Speak up. Tell me."  
"I'm Nicole. I don't know why I came. Actually, I was just coming here because I smelled that," I waved at the incense.  
"Ah, then you are not the Mage Child?"  
"I don't know. I might be."  
"Can you see in the Orb?"  
"On occasion," I answered, beginning to feel wary of this mysterious stranger.  
"And you have no intent? How can you be so sure?" he turned to face me.  
"Who are you?" I questioned, feeling suspicious.  
"And why would I tell you that?" he asked. "I happen to be a very private sort of person. But--if you can guess my name, I shall answer you as best I can. You get three clues. First--"  
"Wait! I never agreed to--"  
"You didn't have to. I chose for you. Now, your first clue is: I am named after my father," he spat the word bitterly, "who is no longer living. Second: I despise my name and all that it stands for. Last: I created a new name for myself. It contains thirteen letters."  
"I can't guess off of those clues. I need to know what your real name is first. How else could I get it?"  
"My name is Tom."  
"Tom..." I murmured the name.  
"You have a lovely voice. Why do you not voice your thoughts and allow me to hear your sweet voice?"  
"Well," I blushed, "it isn't that I have no thoughts to share, but I am finding this frustrating. Why not tell me who you are, so I can speak more freely?"  
"And if you fear my identity?"  
"I can assure you that I won't. I fear no one, wizard or otherwise."  
He chuckled softly. I yearned to hear more about him, so I could determine whether or not to divulge any personal information.  
"Ah," Tom laughed, "she said that as well. But, yes. It turned out better when I answered her," he seemed to be speaking to himself now. "So, yes. I agree with you, Nicole. I shall tell you who I am. I am Tom Marvolo Riddle."  
"And I would fear you for it?" I began laughing. Tom seemed delighted to hear my laughter, golden and rich with a happy melody.  
"Yes, most would fear me. I am pleased at your courage, though. It seems that I may finally have found the perfect one after all. That is nothing to say you are the Child, but I shall try my best to make this--pleasurable. So, tell me about yourself, and we can exchange tales." He waved a hand, and two chairs appeared beside the altar. He gestured for me to sit, and I did.  
"All right," I said, giggling still. "My name is Nicole Anne Stevens. My mother wanted to name me Naomi Annabelle, but my dad said no. That's a different story though. I moved here to England from America, because my dad's job transferred him here. At first, I hated it here. Then I went to Diagon Alley for school supplies, last year, where I met Harry.  
"We dated, etcetera. I also found out that I was in love with someone else, Draco Malfoy, but that's another story, too. I was taken last year by Lord Voldemort--" Tom leaned forward interestedly as I said this. I looked curiously at him before continuing, "And he forced me to tell him the future."  
"And did you?" Tom asked.  
"Well, yeah. So then he kidnapped Harry and blah, blah, blah, we escaped into the moonrise."  
"But, this summer I was still dating Harry, but I was mad at him because he slept with Ginny Weasley."  
"I remember the first time we..." he whispered to himself. "She was fiery."  
"So," I looked oddly at him again, "I went to Draco and we started dating. But, that only lasted a couple of days, because I made a deal with Harry. And so now I'm trying to find Draco and freaking explain to him, but no he has to go somewhere where I can't find him."  
"Very well, then. I would tell you about myself, but there is no time. You may stay here and watch; if you'd like. But, please don't startle me. This is a delicate process."  
"Mm-hm," I acceded. He went to stand at the altar. I sat in the chair and watched as he picked the book from the ground. Tom waved his hand again, and the chair disappeared from beneath me. I tumbled to the ground, landing with a thump.  
"Oh, I apologise. I completely forgot you were there."  
"Yeah, sure," I growled, rubbing my back where I'd landed on it.  
"Descendant calls ancestor--"  
"And says 'how're you doing?'" I muttered.  
"...invoke the spirit of what once was. I call the Rod of Blackness, the Cup of Leandre, the Sword of Binoctium, and the Pentacle of Lamia. Bring the power of these to me and see what is to be done..."  
I never heard the rest of that sentence. I had fallen asleep.  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
"I apologise, Nicole. This isn't my choice. If I could, I would save you. You are too far gone to be saved, now, though. Please do not plead. It won't make a difference. The verdict is in: no appeal. I tried, Nicole. You understand that, don't you? Were it my choice, I never would have chosen this end for you." He drew out a double-bladed knife. Its blade was silver; the moonlight glinted off its smooth surface.  
"And to defile this dagger with your blood pains me," he continued. "I wish to change my fate. If you ask it of me, I'll follow in your footsteps to death. If you want to right this world, then I will sink the blade into my own chest instead of yours. It is my wish to do whatever you bid. Please decide quickly, before he comes to find us."  
"And I would have neither of us die, if it were to be so. I do not wish for more bloodshed than has occurred already. My friends, all dead by the knife you hold in your hands as a child would hold a purring kitten. But you wish to crush your kitten's skull and snap its neck. You wish for blood, mine or yours, or both of ours; and I can only say: How can you ask me to decide both your fate and mine? I do not know to what ends we all will come. That was Trelawney's calling. No, I know the fates. Call this fate or destiny, but you shall never name it chance. Everything is as it was meant to be. Possibly our meeting was only a serious case of serendipity."  
"I desire nothing more than to see us walking away, hand in hand together. But it cannot be so."  
"Then, Draco, hand me the knife and shield your eyes. Better yet, walk away from me and forget I lived. My memory shall be alive no longer, as it should be. With no one around to remember my existence, maybe they shall also forget to mark my indiscretions. This is the end of an era, and the beginning of a new. Please take care of everyone, as I might have done. Just remember this: I did live, and I lived well. Bear in mind that I was not a failure. Keep that close to your heart, and your children's children shall have the same faith in the world as I. Please keep my soul alive in you."  
"I promise I will, but I will not leave you," he said.  
"So be it."   
I took the knife from his hands and pressed it gently against the bare skin of my chest. "Goodbye, my love." And I shoved the blade into my chest. Dark red blood dripped from the hilt of the dagger. I looked unseeingly at the wound in my chest. The liquid was warm as it dripped down my hands, which were delicately pressed against my breast. The blood seeped through the bodice of my dress, but I was uncaring. The pain was intense, and my gaze became blurry. Draco was staring at me, tears flowing down his cheeks. I dropped my hands from my chest and fell limply to the ground. Draco stumbled in his haste to me, and as he reached my body, I heard him whisper.  
"You are my love, as well. Nothing shall change that."  
I slid into unconsciousness. But, no. It was black. It was death.   
Draco sat for a long time beside my lifeless body. He cradled my head in his arms, holding me against him. His tears flowed onto my face, washing the blood off that had been transferred from Draco's hands to me.   
His crying ceased finally, and Draco stood, head high, shoulders proud. He wrenched the knife from my body and held it above his chest, exactly where I had.  
"And in death, we shall meet again." He slammed the filthy dagger into his chest, falling to the floor.   
And in death, he thought as his life slipped away from him, I will find you.   
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
I awoke lying on a mat of brambles. Actually, it was the forest floor, as I saw when I inspected the scene. Where had the temple gone? And Tom?  
He had been here! my heart screamed. I am not gong mad!  
There was water falling on my face in drops. Were they tears? No, no, they felt like tears, but it was rain. I looked around me at the muddy soil. Making to stand, I found that I felt empty. I brushed myself off, noticing that my shirt was only half-buttoned and that my robe had been cast away onto the ground beside where I had awoken. My arms were bruised, as if someone had held me roughly. But surely not.  
I remembered my dream.  
"Draco," I sighed sadly, touching my chest where the blade had pierced it in the dream. "Oh, Draco, you can't let that happen." I was talking to myself, and I knew it. But it did not matter. No one was here to listen anyway.  
I buttoned my shirt, grabbing my robe and shaking the dirt out of it. I put it on to escape from the harsh wind that was bringing cold air whistling through the trees.  
The storm I had seen as I had arrived in the forest had finally blown in. It caused the wind to be sharp and the rain to splash cruelly against my face, pricking it with its force. My hair was tossed behind me by the wind. It tugged at my shirt; airy fingers caressing any bare skin they could find.  
I was exhausted and longing desperately to find Draco and curl up beside his warmth. Had I truly made that deal with Harry? In my mind, I was unsure. It seemed so long ago. Checking my watch, I found that it was nearly lunchtime. Had I been so long?  
Deciding that it was best to return to school, I grabbed my bag from the ground beside me and began to walk towards the castle, hoping dearly that no one had missed me. 


	15. Chapter 15

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (15)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco Order Phoenix  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust  
Summary: Explanations for Harry's behaviour. My, my, The Boy Who Lived seems to get himself into more trouble than he can handle!  
Nicole does something about her current dislike of Harry, and her love of Draco.  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I did not write, nor do I own, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series.  
Author notes: No flames.   
This is dedicated to Richard Harris, who was Albus Dumbledore in the two Harry Potter films. He died on the twenty-fifth of October in London, England. Harris was suffering from Hodgkins disease.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Fifteen: The Truth  
"Sorry I'm late, Harry. I got held up in Arithmancy. You know the deal; Vector can't stop preaching to us about lunarscopes and kaliseidles," I apologized hurriedly as I jogged over to him and sat beside him.  
"Oh, that's all right. I really don't mind it. Some teachers can't even--"  
"You weren't in Arithmancy," Hermione said from across the table. "I remember looking for you. Professor Vector noticed your absence, too."  
Note To Self: Must learn how to lie in a believable fashion.  
"Oh--well, I mean to say--I wasn't there, but I had previous homework that Professor Vector had written down the assignments for, and she just rambled on and on about the kaliseidles. It's pointless, really."  
"Well," said Hermione turning up her nose, "that's your opinion. I happen to believe that all of the material given to us is fascinating and completely necessary."  
I shrugged indifferently.  
"Harry, you remember earlier?" I asked.  
"Yes," he replied.  
"Well, you know how you were acting? It didn't seem like you were yourself, if you understand me."  
He raised his eyebrows. "Really?"  
"Yeah. It was like you weren't yourself. I couldn't begin to tell you how different you seemed."  
"Come to think of it, I don't remember exactly what I said. I just thought I asked if you'd consider dating me again. Did I say anything else?"  
"Yes, lots of stuff about how I was supposed to do exactly what you said every second of the day and loads of things that really irked me. But, if you don't remember that's fine."  
How can he not remember what he said? It's like he was possessed or something.  
"Well, if I said anything to bother you, I apologise," he said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and giving me a kiss on the top of my head. I nodded and inspected the other people at the table.  
Ron and Ginny were sitting together, deep in conversation. I suddenly remembered what I had wanted to ask Harry.  
"Harry," I asked in a whisper, "why'd you do that with Ginny?"  
He frowned, "I don't know."  
"How can you not know something like that?"  
"I can't think of why I did that. I mean, I remember her coming to me and pleading. She moaned and cried and screamed and tore. I can hardly recall what led up to that. All I know was that afterwards, I felt free. I was there, lying on the floor with her, when it suddenly hit me: What was I doing? It felt so wrong. Her hair and eyes were bright and they made me shiver. It scared me when I thought of her and you and my mistake. And Ron. I was convinced that he would never forgive me. I still am. But, she cooed to me that everything was all right and you wouldn't care and Ron wouldn't care and Hermione would agree and you would agree and it was all right and nothing was wrong. She said that a thousand times if she said it once. I can think about what she said, and all I heard was that it was okay and you were okay and I was okay and this was right and good and pure and no, I hadn't done wrong, and no, she hadn't done wrong, and yes, you would still love me and how could I ever think she would do something wrong to me. And when you came, we were laughing. The boys and I were laughing that innocent little Ginny would ever do that and certainly it was funny that she chose me to do it with. When Seamus heard, he wanted her. He thought she would be good. And, I told him 'no, it's not right' but I knew I wouldn't matter because that was my one time to be with her and it wouldn't matter to me who she slept with next. But when you came in; the world stopped. It stopped. I knew how wrong it had been when I saw you cry. Ginny had lied and I knew it. I had known it from the start. And I thought 'God, if you can hear me, please let this be forgotten' and you turned and ran. I just sat and sobbed. And no, I'm not ashamed. I cried over you. I cried for your spent tears and I cried for the purity that I had cast away carelessly. When I saw you this morning, all I thought was 'she's good; she's pure; and if I can't have her no one can' and that was it. I didn't even hear your words."  
That was way more than I needed to know, I thought.  
"It's okay Harry; I know what its like. Well, not exactly, but..." I faded off.  
"Nicole," I heard a sugary sweet voice from behind me. It made me sick. I turned around and saw her. The temptress; the serpent; Ginny.  
"Yes?" I asked with a harsh tongue.  
"I was just coming to say," she paused and Ron gave her a pointed look from his seat, "that I shouldn't have slept with Harry. It was wrong, and I acknowledge that."  
You had better damn acknowledge it, you little--  
"Why, you know what? I happen to agree with you. You were wrong to sleep with my boyfriend and you knew it. I acknowledge the fact that you apologise, and I thank you for it. But, I won't accept your apology. In fact," I stood and faced her, "I think you had better leave before I decide that my fist would look very nice planted on your face." I smiled as a snake would, if snakes could smile.  
"Very well, then," Ginny said with a laugh that reminded me of the tinkling of bells. "I was just attempting to apologise for my imprudence, but it was my mistake."  
"Now, there you are perfectly correct. It was your mistake. But, I am warning you, because I am finding this very difficult: if you want to sleep with someone, go to someone without a girlfriend, or you'll wish you were dead."  
She laughed again. "I can assure you, it won't happen again." But she gave Harry an evocative look that was not only suggestive, but it tore into my heart, ripping out what it wanted.  
"It had better not," I said, "or I'll be sure to inform your parents of your--extracurricular activities."  
She smirked, "Oh, well. Such is life! If you would excuse me, I must get ready for potions." Ginny turned, tossing her hair in my face. I stood, stunned and angry before realising that she was gone and it was over. I sat back down, my arms frozen by my sides.   
"Can you say catfight?" Harry said incredulously as I sat.  
"I need to go throw up," I whispered hoarsely, standing and running out the hall doors. There were people pointing and laughter as I ran out. I did not care, though.  
I ran for five minutes, before reaching a bathroom. I pelted into the room, throwing myself into one of the stalls and retching. The acid burned my throat, and I longed for water, but I did not dare leave. Not if I might see her again. I flushed the toilet and used toilet paper to wipe my mouth. I tossed it into the toilet, too. That was when I noticed there were other sounds.  
Something was constantly knocking against one of the stall doors, and I became curious at once.  
"W-who's there?" I asked, my voice raspy.  
"Does it matter, really?" came a boy's voice.  
"No," I answered truthfully.  
"Then you don't want to know. Who're you?"  
"I'm Nicole."  
"Oh, right. Daemon girl. I remember you. Surprising really. Wanna come out?" he knocked against my door. I saw feet underneath the stall door, and unlocked it. Standing outside was a brown-haired, amber-eyed boy, who I did not recognise, but knew was in seventh year. I came out of the stall, trying not to redden.  
"What's your name?" I asked.  
"Levine," he answered.  
"So why're you in here?"  
"I was skipping class."  
"How come?"  
"Because it's time for History of Magic," he said dully.  
"Okay. Well, I should probably be going, now. You know, Divination. Trelawney hates it when we're late. Bye." I started to leave.  
"Watch out for her," Levine said as I left.  
I nodded and left. As I walked up to Trelawney's tower, I wondered. Watch out for whom?  
I climbed up the ladder leading into the Divination classroom. Everyone else was already inside, so I felt extremely embarrassed when all of their eyes turned to me as I entered. Harry was sitting at a back table, and Ron was sitting with Neville. Ron and Harry were still fighting, apparently.  
I went to sit by Harry, choosing the chair opposite of him. Trelawney was looking upset at my lateness. She sighed and continued speaking.  
The fumes from the fire were stifling, and I could hardly breathe. The smoke was overpowering, and I found that I was soon drifting off into a peaceful sleep.  
And as I slept, I dreamed.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Oh, Tom," moaned a girl.  
"Am I hurting you?"  
"Yes! Don't stop."  
"I'm tired of this," Tom said finally, pulling away from the girl.  
"I'm not," gasped the girl, pulling him back to her.  
"Ginny, I must go. There is business I must attend to."  
"No." She yanked the silken sheets over them both and began kissing Tom all over his body. He pushed her away and stood, looking irritated. He began to gather his clothes.  
"What did you do about the girl?" Tom asked as he dressed.  
"I tried to hurt her, but she seems invincible. After I seduced Harry, she didn't even bat an eyelash. She was upset, but not even close to dead."  
"So she is not dead, nor has she forgotten any of what she has seen?" Tom questioned, growing deadly quiet.  
"Not that I know of."  
"Then you will suffer."  
"Tom, you don't mean--you wouldn't. No. I-I'll stop the spell. I will. I'll do it and you won't stop me!"  
Tom laughed coldly, "I suppose I wouldn't dare to. But I could always hurt you other ways." He took one of her red curls and wrapped it around his finger, before letting it spring back into its curls.   
The girl watched as her love walked out of the room, leaving her alone on the bed. It always ended like this.  
*_*_*_*_*_*  
"I pronounce her guilty of the High Crime. She is sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss."  
"Take me!" the girl cried. "Take me! I do not care! It is better soulless! What is a body without a soul? It is strong!"  
There was a murmur from the crowd as black robed figures glided in the doorway. They went to the girl and unshackled her hands. She shivered in their presence but quickly hid her fear.   
"The sentence is to be performed now, so all may see this woman and her treason fall into ruins."  
Some clapped. Most clapped.  
The lead Dementor raised the girl's face to his, and her red curls tumbled down her back. It brought its mouth down upon hers, sucking the soul from her.   
"Virginia Natalie Weasley has fulfilled her sentence."  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*   
I awoke when I felt someone tapping my arm. I looked over to see that Harry was trying to wake me up without attracting the teacher's attention. He seemed relieved when I woke, and whispered, "It's lucky we're doing crystal balls today, or we'd both be in trouble."  
"Not again," I groaned, looking at the milky orb on our table. "I hate these things."  
"You and me, both. But we can pretend, can't we? All right, so..."  
I turned my gaze to the silver orb. The smoky contents in the globe swirled and I soon found myself lost in their contents. It seemed like forever, but was probably only a minute before I saw something. The picture was foggy, but soon became clearer.  
I saw a sword. It was glowing and emitting bright sparks. There were diamonds and sapphires in the gold hilt. The sword was in a case of glass. I knew somehow that it was the Sword of Light. Someone was trying to get the Sword out of its case, but to no avail. The glass would not open.  
The fog shifted and concealed the image. Then I saw a tall tower. It was far away, but it soon sped closer. I noticed that it was made out of the blackest stone. It reminded me of Saruman's tower from Lord of the Rings. There was a window at the top, and through the window, I saw a small, circular room. There were candles in brackets on the wall, and I saw myself shackled to a chair. I was straining to get loose, but the chains were too secure. The door opened and a man stepped in. I thought at first that it was Draco, before I noticed his attire; black pants, black shirt, and a dark green, velvet cloak. Not Draco. Besides, he looked older, while I looked the same. The Draco look-alike walked over to me, and began speaking. I saw him reach into his pocket and extract a vial. He dripped the potion into my mouth and I slumped, unconscious, in the chair. He smiled, satisfied, before walking out the door.  
The fog swirled back into my view, and did not leave. I drew myself out of the semi-trance and saw the rest of the class looking into their crystal balls. Harry was watching me with apprehension.  
"You saw something, didn't you?" he asked.  
"Yes."  
"What did you see?"  
"A sword and a tower."  
"That's all?"  
"Mostly."  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"I can't believe I'm doing this. I really can't believe. Oh well, Lamia," I said to the bare wall. "I mean, I'm not kidnapping him, I'm just seeing if he's there and forcing him to listen to me. That's not a crime, now, is it?" It was difficult to convince myself.  
I went through the stone doorway leading into--you guessed it--the Slytherin common room. The embers of the fire were making shadows leap across the walls and causing the room to be cast in a fiery glow. It made me shiver, but I soon forgot that, as I tiptoed down the corridor to Draco's bedroom. His door was slightly open, which worried me. He never left his door open.  
I crept closer to the door, listening hard. There were noises, but they were muffled as if by a pillow.  
Here goes nothing, eh?  
I pushed the door wide open. Draco was lying on his bed with his face pressed into the pillow. Either he was trying to suffocate himself (likely) or he was trying to conceal his tears (not likely). He didn't hear me or realise that he was not alone. I was quiet as I shut the door behind me and inched toward the bed. As I neared, I noticed that Draco's hair was unkempt. Now that was odd.  
"Draco?" I whispered, touching his back. I felt him tense.  
"Who is it and whoever you are take your hand off of me before I--"  
"It's me," I said quietly, retracting my hand and looking down at him. Draco rolled over and stared up at me. Had no one told him that it was not polite to stare?  
"What do you want?" he asked sharply, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. His eyes were filled with sorrow, and I wanted to cry for him right then. But I didn't.  
"I want to explain. I tried to find you earlier, but--"  
"I don't want your pity," he said coldly.  
"That would be why I don't pity you, then. I am sorry, though. If you call that pity, then so be it, but I'm apologising to you. What I said, about loving you, and all, it wasn't a lie. None of it was a lie. I love you with all my heart and it pains me when you act this way. I made a deal with Harry. I'll finish the deal and then..."  
"So, you made a compromise with Potter," Draco sneered. "Well, that's lovely. In fact, it's spectacular. Now go."  
"No. You still don't understand."  
"Tell me, Nicole, what exactly don't I understand? Is it that I can't seem to find reason in your agreement with Potter? Or possibly that I want to kiss you so badly right now that I am literally killing myself inside?" He looked it. His eyes were cold and hard, but they had a furious edge to them.  
"So why don't you?"  
"You're not mine."  
"No, I'm not right now. But you've never seemed to mind before."  
"You'd never been mine before. I realised during the time I spent with you how upset I would be if Potter came up and kissed you. So now I know what he went through. I won't do it again."  
"You can't blame yourself if it's my fault," I said, yanking him off the bed to his feet, and pulling his mouth down over mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him as close to me as we could be. Draco was stunned for a minute, but soon the temptation was too great and he kissed me back. His hands ran along my sides, and I finally had to move away for breath. Draco kissed my neck and the hollow of my throat. He slid his hand up my side and brought my lips back to his. His kiss was hungry, and heated. I felt him so close to me, it was as if he were a part of me.  
I hardly noticed, but he had pulled us onto the bed. We rolled over and over, laughing and kissing and tugging each other closer. We were both smiling and happily cuddling beside one another. Draco held me tightly as we kissed and rolled, and never once were we not touching. I felt blissfully at ease as I had not in many weeks. Not even the few days I had been Draco's, had I ever felt so good. I believe it was the same for Draco. He had lost his stony attitude and seemed much more jovial.  
"Do you think Harry'd just let me come back to you and still join the Order?" I asked as I giggled as Draco nuzzled against my neck.  
"No, but I don't care. He can go to hell, for all I care." He began kissing me again.  
"You're right," I said lightly, forgetting Harry altogether as I was pulled into the spiralling vortex.  
It was morning when I awoke next to Draco.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
Dedicated to Richard Harris. 


	16. Chapter 16

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (16)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Draco Harry Sword Light  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, The Golden Compasss, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers  
Summary: Here it is. Chapter 16! Please read...  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own Philip Pullman's books, nor do I claim any right to the material. I do not owe Patricia C. Wrede's books, nor do I claim any right to the material.  
Author notes: Thanks, you guys! My biggest glomps go to Lor-Lor, Ash, Cat, Kait, Amanda, Shelby...  
Thanks to the mods!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Sixteen: Blood and Tears  
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Of course, I'll still do it. If it would help get Sirius out, then I'd be glad to," Harry said, though he sounded disappointed. "If he really makes you that happy, then I won't stop you. But be careful, all right?"  
"Thanks Harry," I said, giving him a friendly hug. "I still want to be friends."  
"Yeah," he nodded. I left him, walking the short distance to where Draco was waiting.  
"So?"  
"So he's still going to join, and he's okay with us going out," I answered.  
"Thank the gods," Draco smiled.  
"How quickly do you think this'll spread around the school?" I asked.  
"I'll give them an hour," he said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as we headed outside. "Asriel said to trust him, can you believe? I asked her this morning whether or not I should trust Potter to make a wise decision, and she said 'he is wise; he will make the correct decision.' Potter, wise? I was ready to call her mad."  
We laughed together as we strolled around the Hogwarts grounds. It was a lovely Saturday afternoon, and none of the students wanted to miss it. In fact, they were all taking full advantage of the summer-like weather. Draco and I were no exception. I had longed for a day such as this for many weeks now.  
"So, you know, I'm Slytherin Quidditch captain this year," Draco began, sounding a bit awkward. "And, I was thinking about games. You'll come, right?"  
"Yeah," I answered, nodding slowly and trying to think of what he was getting at.  
"But, if you come, who'll you sit with and cheer for?"  
"That's a tough decision," I commented.  
"But a necessary one," he replied.  
"Well, then, I'll just cheer my head off for everyone and sit with," I paused, "e*E*rm, Ron." So I would be cheering for a Slytherin and sitting with the Gryffindors. How would that work out?  
"I guess that'll be fine." He sounded worried, still.  
"What is it?" I asked him.  
"I still don't know if I can beat him," he said quietly, as if it were a dark secret.  
"Oh!" I exclaimed, a little giggle escaping from me.  
"It's not funny!" Draco said indignantly, all his worries forgotten.  
"Oh, Draco," I sighed, my voice dripping with the ill-concealed laughter, "it doesn't matter if you win or not."  
"It does so matter!"  
"No, it doesn't. You don't have to win to be popular," I pointed out.  
"And who doesn't know that?" he asked sarcastically.  
"And if you don't win, then I wouldn't care," Draco glared at me, "I'd care, I mean, but you don't need to win to impress me."  
"I don't really care about impressing you," he said, "I only care about beating Potter."  
"So you don't care about me?" I asked as if I was insulted.  
"It's not that, it's just that I want to beat him. I know I don't have to win for you."  
I grinned up at him.  
He leant down and whispered in my ear, "I win for you anyway."  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Today, you shall all work in boy and girl pairs," Snape said, sounding sour. There was a groan from the class.  
"And I shall partner you up," Snape declared. He sounded almost happy now. Obviously, student torture was his idea of a jolly day.  
Draco covered my hand with his, whispering, "I don't think we'll have to be separated. He likes me."  
"Hope so," I answered shortly.  
"Longbottom and Bullstrode. Parkinson and--"  
"Draco...Draco..."I heard her muttering hopefully from the desk behind me.  
"Parkinson and Potter," Snape finished. "Malfoy and," he paused, frowning slightly, "Granger. Stevens and Weasley." He finished calling out the pairs.  
Draco was looking mortified. He turned to me.  
"He is definitely off of my Christmas list," Draco growled.  
"But, you saw how he paused," I said consolingly, "and I don't think he wanted you to be with Hermione, but--"  
"Hmph."  
"But he had to because Dumbledore might've chosen the pairs."  
"Argh."  
"Fine. Pout if you must, but it makes you look immature," I stated mildly.  
Draco stopped pouting, to replace his mood for a more Draco-ish*esque* one: utter indifference. It only served to make him look more boyish than ever, though. I thought a scowl would have been more appropriate.  
I stood and kissed his cheek as Hermione walked over. Draco was reluctant to let me go, but as Hermione neared, he could only drop my hand and allow me to walk away.  
I went to sit by Ron. He looked relieved, at least. It seemed he had been prepared for the worst. He even managed to smile at me as I sat down beside him.  
"Not the worst it could be, eh?" he asked, grinning.  
"No," I replied.  
"Malfoy doing all right?"  
"Why do you want to know?" I asked suspiciously.  
"Oh," Ron blushed, "no reason, it's just--"  
Ron was spared his explanation as Snape began speaking again. "Today you shall be brewing a Lymenylas Potion. Who can tell me what its uses are?"  
As I had suspected, Draco raised his hand. Hermione sat beside him, scowling. She had long since given up hope of ever being chosen to answer a question.  
"Mister Malfoy?"  
"The Lymenylas Potion," I was in awe at how fluently the words passed his lips, "is a type of potion that is classified dangerous. It is a mood amplifying potion that can be helpful or harmful, depending on the brewer's intent."  
"Ah, correct you are," Snape said. "Ten points to Slytherin. Now, you shall make this potion with your partner. But I must warn you, if your feelings are resentful, your potion shall only serve to do harm."  
There was a sharp knock on the door. It opened, and the one man I had been least-looking forward to seeing stood in the doorway. Lucius Malfoy.  
"Ah, hello Severus. Nice class, I do hope. I have come to take Draco."  
It seemed as though Draco had not expected his father to come.  
Lucius' cold, black eyes swept over the class, and I tried furiously to hide behind Ron. My movement, however, only served to cause Lucius to see me. He smirked, and I flinched, but refused to cower because of his glance. I sat up straight and stared insolently into the Death Eater's eyes. He would not meet my gaze again though.  
"Draco, come," Lucius ordered.  
Draco nodded mutely and grabbed his bag. I could tell he was trying not to shiver. As he passed my table, Draco dropped something onto the floor. No one noticed it but me. I waited for Draco and his father to leave, before stooping to pick the paper from the floor.  
As I touched it, something fell out onto the stone. A fine, silver chain. It looked remarkably like the one Draco wore constantly. I took the chain and paper from the ground, slipping the chain into my pocket.  
When I inspected the piece of parchment more closely, I noticed it was a scrap of paper with a hastily scribbled note on it.  
It said:  
Meet me tonight at two o' clock in the Potions corridor. I need to talk to you. Privately.   
I love you,  
Draco  
P.S. Keep my necklace for me. Will you wear it to keep it safe?  
I frowned and stuck the note in my pocket. The little silver chain was cool as my fingers touched it. I took it out and unlatched it, putting it around my neck. I hurriedly closed the latch.  
Still no one had noticed. Good.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Where did Malfoy go?" Harry asked as we walked into the common room.  
I shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't tell me anything."  
"Right. Well, did you notice how Lucius was dressed?"  
"No."  
"He was wearing all black."  
"And so was Draco. Who cares?" I shot back angrily. I was anxious about Draco.  
Harry shrugged, "I just thought it was odd that he had a white mask sticking out of his pocket."  
I looked amazedly at him, and whispered, "A Death Eater's mask."  
Harry nodded. I shook my head and shrugged.  
"I'm sure it was just a figment," I said uncertainly. Harry nodded, still as unconvinced as I was.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
I fingered the silver chain as I lie awake in bed. It had no ornament on it, and I thought that it must have been something Draco had just because he liked it. The cool metal slid across my fingers, as I tugged gently at it. It was very delicate, much like Draco looked. However, both the chain and Draco were very strong. I pulled harder at the silver, but it showed no signs of weakness.  
It had been a minute since I had last checked the clock, I thought as I looked at the luminous red numbers. The clock flashed a message at me from below the time. It said: Yes, I'm still keeping track.  
I smiled faintly. It was a clock. Of course it was still keeping track of the time. I knew that.  
Again I looked at the alarm clock. Its message was: There are still sixty seconds in a minute. But the time had increased; it was one o' clock. Only an hour left until I was to go meet Draco.   
Slowly yet surely, the time passed. And soon I found that it was time for me to go to the Potions corridor.  
I stood quietly and hurried down the stairs. It was difficult not to yawn as I pulled open the portrait, stepping through and tiptoeing as quickly as I could down to the entrance hall. There, I stopped and peered into the shadows all around me until I was sure it was safe for me to sneak into the corridor. I ran down the hall to the door of the potions classroom. I would wait there until Draco came.  
Draco came soon, and I had only waited for five minutes. I could not see his face in the half-shadowy light. He took my hand and led me down to the entryway to the Slytherin common room. He took me inside and pulled me into his bedroom, where Draco closed the door behind us.  
"What is it? Where did you go?" I asked him.  
Draco turned to look at me. I saw that his left cheek was bruised and his upper lip was bleeding slightly. He sat down on the bed silently. I noticed that his eyes seemed wet, and little drops of water were slowly dripping down his cheeks. Draco was crying.  
I ran to him and sat on my knees on the floor in front of him. He buried his face in his hands, hiding his face in shame.  
I pulled his hand away from his face and kissed his palm. I tasted blood and salt water. It was then that Draco spoke.  
"Stop," he commanded hoarsely. I let his hand fall onto his lap. Then I climbed up beside him on the bed.  
"Tell me what happened," I whispered.  
"I can't."  
"Of course you can."  
"No. You'd hate me for it."  
I shook my head and kissed him softly.  
"I couldn't hate you," I told him.  
"You would."  
I think he needs a hug, my conscience declared.  
And a large shot of tequila.  
Draco turned to me and I saw exactly what he had been afraid of. It was the Dark Mark branded onto his left forearm. I extended my left arm, shoving up the sleeve on my robe to show him the identical black skull. He bit his lower lip. Not in a nervous way, just like he was confused.  
"I have it too. It's not a big deal," I reassured him.  
Draco's quiet tears continued to fall. He continually shook his head 'no'.  
"That's not it. Voldemort--" he faltered, "Voldemort told me to kill..."  
"He tells everyone that," I said, rubbing his neck with one hand and holding his hand with the other.  
"No, no, he told me to kill...you. A-and I can't do it. If I d-don't," he choked, "I'll b-be killed and s-so will you."  
I stopped massaging his neck and wrapped my arm around his shoulders. He sat up to nuzzle my neck.  
I let him kiss my neck a couple of times, before saying, "It'll be okay, I'm sure."  
Draco pulled away from me, searching my eyes for any traces of doubt. There were none. He nodded slowly.  
His eyes were black in the darkness, and they shone with tears. He was trying his best not to cry in front of me. It pained me to see him go through such an effort. I had cried into his shoulder uncountable times. Should he not feel as comfortable doing the same? No, he was Draco. Draco didn't cry. It wasn't Draco's nature to cry. He usually squared his shoulders and acted fearless. That was one of his defining qualities.  
I held his hand for several more moments before deciding that I had best go back to my dorm. But as I stood, Draco called me back.  
"Could you stay with me?" he asked with as much dignity as he could muster.  
"Of course," I answered, returning to him. He stood and wrapped his arms around me.  
I smelled the saline on his shirt and I smelled some blood, but other than that, Draco's scent was still peppermint and night air. He was tenderly stroking my hair, wrapping his long fingers in my golden strands. Draco touched my cheek and lifted my chin to look at him. His cheek was almost blackened from the bruise.  
"I could fix that for you," I said, indicating his cheek.  
"Mm," Draco said, sitting on the bed. I took that as an assent.  
"Where's your wand?" I asked.  
"On the chair," he pointed at the chairs in front of the fireplace. I went and grabbed his wand.  
"This might hurt a bit," I cautioned.  
Draco shrugged. "It can't hurt worse than this."  
"All right, then. Repartem tissio," I said, directing his wand at his cheek. There was a white flash of light and I saw the bruise slowly disappear.  
"That feels much better."  
"It should. You need sleep."  
"So do you."  
"Then I'm going to bed," I said, going around to the other side of the bed and lying down.  
Draco lay close to me, holding me from behind by the waist. I think it was comforting for him.  
I fell asleep almost instantaneously.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Ooh. Ow!" Draco yelped as I poked his chest.  
"Oh, does it hurt there, then?"  
"Yes," Draco said indignantly. "So, what were you saying?"  
"I was saying that since we are both technically Death Eaters, then we should work together and think of a way to confuse Voldie." Draco chuckled at my nickname for Voldemort.  
"Mm, that would be good," Draco agreed, twirling a strand of my golden hair and weaving it back and forth between his long digits.  
He moved up onto his elbows to look down at me. We had lie on the bed together, chatting ever since we had woken up. It had been a comfortable affair, considering all events. Draco was battered all along his body, and I feared to hold his hand because there was a chance it might pain him.  
Draco laughed softly as I prodded his arm, asking, "Does it hurt there?"  
"Only when I'm awake," he answered, smiling half-heartedly.  
I rested my weary eyes as he caressed my cheek and neck, gently scraping his fingernails across my smooth skin. I made a soft sound in my throat as he fingered the collar of my shirt, tugging gently at the first button, which was high on my throat. I felt the button give up its resistance and felt cool air on my upper neck.  
Draco continued this process, until he had reached the point where the lacy edge of my underclothes barely showed. He left off unbuttoning my shirt, to begin softly tracing his fingers along my pale skin. I remained with my eyes closed, until Draco's voice broke the void of silence.  
"Does this feel good?" he asked.  
"Mm-hm," I murmured.  
"And what about this?" he scratched his fine nails against my flesh so softly that it felt like butterfly wings were fluttering across my skin. Electricity shot from his fingertips (or so it felt) and I sighed happily.  
"That feels nice," I replied, trying to ignore the waves of pleasure that swept over me as he drew his finger from the hollow of my throat down to the next closed button on my shirt.  
"I don't know how I ever learned to do this--to be this way," he admitted quietly.  
"Be what way?" I asked, not opening my eyes.  
"Be this way," he danced his fingers over my chest for emphasis.  
"You mean tender?" I wondered aloud.  
"I guess, but...it's different. I mean; once I had a pet snake. I liked it, and I fed it and watered it and finally came to love it. I was tender with it, yes, but not this way."  
And thank the goddesses for that, I thought as he brushed his forefinger along my shoulders.  
"I don't know if I ever was this way before," he confessed. "Before you, all I know is that I was arrogant and higher than everyone else. But, you make me real. You make me human."  
"But you don't need me for that," I told him. "You are human. And I love you for it. You're not a god, but you might be able to fool someone about that."  
We both laughed, and I continued, "You are Draco Malfoy, as sure as the sun sets in the west and rises in the east. And I'm reasonably sure that's the way of things."  
"I hope so," he said.  
"You don't have to hope so. You have to know so."  
"I think I do." He tilted my chin up and looked into my eyes. "And I think I understand it better now."  
"I'm sure you do. So tell me what I get for my birthday now."  
"Sweet sixteen," he sighed, "wouldn't it be lovely if we hid up in the Astron--"  
"Ha, ha; I mean really."  
"I wasn't joking," he said, shrugging. "It might be nice. Or maybe we could come back here. I could get wine and stuff."  
"And we'd get wasted and dance the night away outside in the freezing cold wearing nothing but our underclothes? I think not, love. I like the warmth, thank you very much."  
"No, I never said we'd go dance under the moon in our underpants. I just was suggesting...hey, you never know. You might like it."  
"I'll forget that for the moment. So tell me what I get."  
"I was thinking that it'll be something really beautiful."  
"Well that narrows it down," I scoffed.  
"And something unique; but I refuse to tell you more."  
"Fine," I answered, jabbing my thumb into his chest again. "Don't tell me."  
"Okay. I won't, then."  
"Urg."  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"As if! Slytherin won't win this one. I know it. With Harry as team captain, there isn't even a small chance that Slytherin will win," Ron boasted as we headed out for the first Quidditch match of the season.  
"Shut up, Ron," I said tonelessly, "I think Draco will win."  
"Yeah, well, we all know your judgement is clouded by...other things," he nudged me in the ribs.  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" I yelled.  
"You do," he accused.  
"Hmph. Leave me alone, or I won't sit with you."  
That made Ron pause. Hermione wouldn't sit with him anymore (No one knows, people, no one knows) and Ginny was just...not there.  
"Fine," he answered.  
We continued down the lawn towards the Quidditch field.  
"Is it odd that they're having a match on Halloween?" I wondered aloud.  
"Not really. We didn't last year, but I don't mind."  
"Hm."  
We had finally reached the gates to the Quidditch field. I headed in first, hopping up the stairs to get to the seats. There were people everywhere, and it was a mass of scarlet and gold on the whole side of the stadium. However, on the other side it was covered in Slytherin supporters waving their flags and egging their team on.  
I saw one banner in the Slytherin stands that was green with silver lettering. It proclaimed 'Die Potter! Die!' in huge silver letters.  
I pointed this out to Ron. He laughed a little and pulled me up to a pair of empty seats. I sat beside him and we waited anxiously for the game to begin. There were people screaming and whooping all around us. It was difficult to bear.  
"Oh, Nicole, I forgot to tell you that we're having a party for you in Hogsmeade after this," he yelled above the noise. "The party'll be at the Three Broomsticks."  
"Yeah, sure," I shouted.  
There was a sudden burst of noise from the others in the stand, so I stood on my seat to see.  
"They're off!" I called.  
It was hard to see the seven silver and green players who sped past the stands. They were flying by at such an incredible rate that it was almost impossible to see who each player was. I did, however, notice Draco's platinum hair.  
I hope he wins, I thought.  
Why?  
Because he'll be in a foul mood if he doesn't.  
Maybe, but--my conscience cleared its throat a little--but depending on if you, um, get that birthday present he talked about...  
Argh, I don't exactly want to have sex with him now, thanks. Later, maybe. Not now. I do have morals, after all.  
You could fool someone, my conscience returned bitterly.  
"And Gryffindor scores!" the announcer's voice roughly jerked me out of my reverie of thought. "It's ten to zero in the first five minutes!" The crowd roared. I frowned.  
I watched fearfully as the players flew. Draco was zooming top-speed, weaving in-between the players, darting in front of Harry, and directing his team members. I cried out as a black Bludger pelted for Draco. He was too busy trying to tell his team what to do, and didn't see it.  
"The Bludger!" I yelled.  
It made no matter, though. The ball slammed into Draco's stomach, and he doubled over, clutching desperately at the handle of his broom. Draco was clinging to the broom tightly, trying hard not to be tossed off. He finally sat up, still rubbing his stomach where the ball had hit. There would be a big bruise there, if nothing else.  
I saw Harry pelt downwards, hand outstretched. Draco realised it in the same instant as I had. He sped his broom to its full speed, and zoomed after Harry. Harry was riding the broom I had given him, so it was hardly easy for Draco to overtake him. But in the second I had looked at them, the snitch had vanished.  
There was a groan from the Gryffindor crowd.  
Another Bludger was aimed at Draco. One of the Gryffindor beaters had swung his bat as hard as he could at the black ball. It was going at a speed almost faster than Draco. He saw it at the last moment, and jerked the handle of his broom sideways. The ball missed Draco's face by inches, but it was batted back at him. It hit Draco in the head. I barely saw a trickle of red dripping from his temple.  
And there was the snitch! Harry hadn't seen it because he had just been hit by a Bludger. Draco saw it, though. He whizzed downwards, his green Quidditch robes streaming out behind him. Harry's eyes were wide as he watched Draco make a grab at the Snitch.  
A loud roar came from the opposite side of the stadium. I was cheering, jumping up and down on my seat. I was almost crying. Then it suddenly struck me that 'hey, I have a boyfriend down on the field who's just won; maybe I should go meet him.'  
I jumped down from the seat and waved goodbye to Ron as I dashed through the throng of Gryffindor supporters. It was difficult, but I managed to slip in the gaps between people and end up at the front of the crowd. I didn't stop running there, however. I continued sprinting as fast as I could down to the field.  
I finally stopped when I had reached the entrance to the pitch. I strode through it and was immediately greeted by Draco's embrace. He held me to him, and I buried my face in his shoulder. He smelled like blood and grass.  
"Nicole, I'm not a teddy bear," he whispered after a moment. "You don't have to squeeze my head off."  
"Oh," I blushed. I loosened my embrace on his neck.  
"So, how was the game?" he asked, grinning down into my face.  
"Mm...it was all right," I answered. "You could've done to watch out for the Bludgers, but..."  
"Okay, I know I should have looked out for those. But I'm captain; they need me to tell them what to do more than they need me not to have a concussion."  
We laughed and began walking up the lawn to the castle.  
"So it's my birthday and I still haven't gotten a present," I said.  
"No, you're right. And you're not getting one right now, either. You'll have to wait until we get to Hogsmeade to find out what you're getting," he said, smirking.  
I made an indignant noise, "You aren't going to even tell me?"  
He shook his head and smiled. "Pity, though. I think you'll like it, whether or not I tell you beforehand or not."  
"Ron said that they're having a party for me at the Three Broomsticks," I told him. "Did you know about that?"  
"Actually," he paused, "I did. I helped them plan it."  
"Really?" I asked disbelievingly.  
"Of course." He kissed me lightly on the forehead and we continued up to the castle, where we would change clothes and head to Hogsmeade. 


	17. Chapter 17

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (17)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Draco Harry Sword Light  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, The Golden Compasss, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers  
Summary: Here it is. Chapter 17! Please read...  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own Philip Pullman's books, nor do I claim any right to the material. I do not owe Patricia C. Wrede's books, nor do I claim any right to the material.  
Author notes: Thanks, you guys! My biggest glomps go to Lor-Lor, Ash, Cat, Kait, Amanda, Shelby...  
Thanks to the mods!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Seventeen: Sweet Sixteen!  
"So here's a Butterbeer for you," Madam Rosmerta said, sliding a Butterbeer to Draco, "and one for the birthday girl." She slid the second one across the table at me.  
"So what did you do to the drinks?" I asked Draco curiously, taking a small sip of the frothy Butterbeer.  
"Hm..." he gave me a secretive glance and smiled, "you'll just have to drink up and find out."  
I shook my head slightly. "If this is poisoned, I'm going to kill someone."  
"It's not," Draco said grinning.  
"So what did you do to it?" I asked.  
"Not much. I can tell you that there's slightly more alcohol in these," he tapped hi glass, "than in the ones regularly served here, though."  
"And that's all?"  
"Mostly," Draco gave me the same smile as before. I shrugged.  
"So long as it's not poisoned, I don't care."  
I continued drinking the 'slightly more' alcoholic Butterbeer. I wondered how much more there was.  
"C'mon, let's dance," Draco suggested, standing up from the table.  
"Sure," I let him pull me out onto the floor. Draco's hands slid down to my waist, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I rested my head on his shoulder as the song began.  
And I'd give up forever to touch you,  
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow.  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't want to go home right now.  
And all I can't taste is this moment,  
And all I can breathe is your life.  
'Cause sooner or later it's over,  
I just don't want to miss you tonight.  
And I don't want the world to see me,  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.  
When everything's made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am.  
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming  
Or the moment of truth in your lies.  
When everything feels like the movies,  
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive.  
And I don't want the world to see me,  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.  
When everything's made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am.  
I don't want the world to see me,  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.  
When everything's made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am.  
I just want you to know who I am,  
I just want you to know who I am,  
I just want you to know who I am,  
I just want you to know who I am.  
Draco kissed my cheek lightly as the song ended. He led me slowly back to our table.  
When we sat down, there were whoops from some of the boys, egging Draco on to kiss me. He didn't need much coaxing. Draco kissed me lightly on the lips, before pulling me onto his lap and giving me a forceful kiss. I relaxed against his chest as he draped his arms loosely around me. Draco rested his cheek on my head as we sat.  
I slowly heard a thumping that I finally realised was Draco's heart. It was going about three times the normal rate.  
"What's wrong?" I asked him.  
"Nothing."  
"Something has to be wrong."  
"No. Everything's just perfect, is all," Draco whispered.  
"I guess you're right." Draco nodded and drew his arms tighter around me. He ran his fingers along my upper arm, occasionally whispering something sweet in my ear.  
"I love you," he murmured.  
"I love you too."  
"If I asked you to marry me, what would your answer be?" he asked.  
I shrugged slightly; "I'd probably say yes. But I don't see you asking me to marry you, so I don't figure it's something I need to worry about."  
"Hmn...I suppose you're right. But it was a hypothetical question. Do you want to marry me?"  
"Is that a formal question?"  
"I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm asking if you want to."  
"I imagine I do," I answered. "I mean, why wouldn't I want to marry you? You're nice, loving, and tender--occasionally. You're sexy, gorgeous, and forceful. Except for the fact that your father is a complete ass, I'd say I definitely want to marry you. And what about you?"  
"I want to marry you."  
"Give me five reasons why that do not relate in any way to my looks."  
"You're sweet. You love me. You understand me. You know me, inside and out. And...I love you."  
"Oh, look!" I exclaimed suddenly, pointing out the window of the Three Broomsticks. There was an odd show of lights going on outside. It seemed like green and red sparks were flying everywhere through the darkening sky.  
"Come on, let's go see!" I suggested, taking Draco's hand and pulling him up. We headed through the throng of chattering people, with me dragging Draco behind me.  
He became separated from me as I hurried out of the pub. I jumped up, trying to see over the sea of heads. It was no use, though. He had disappeared.  
He'll find me outside, I thought desperately as I continued making my way through the crowd. I mean, he's not stupid. Where else would I go but outside? Surely Draco'll find me. He has to. And if he doesn't--no, I won't think about that. He will find me. I know it.  
There was raucous singing from the streets; a couple of warlocks had gotten drunk on ale. Another burst of noise came from a side street. But this time, it was more forceful. It sounded as if something had been blown up. I saw a building near me on fire. Thinking like a heroine (and a moron, I realised later) I headed over to the burning building to see if someone needed help.  
As I came around the side of a building and into an alley, an elegant hand was clapped firmly over my mouth. I was dragged kicking and screaming into the shadowy alley. The person pulled me against his body, pressing himself into the wall. There was an overhang above us with ivy hanging down from it. The ivy concealed my captor and me.  
"Shush, girl," the man had a hoarse but soothing voice. "Don't make me hurt you." That changed the soothing part.  
"You-bassonofa-" I began trying to call him all of the filthy words I had ever learned.  
He brought the toe of his boot crashing against the backs of my knees. I gasped in pain as my knees gave out and I sunk into a kneeling position.  
"Now shut up," he ordered. "You work for them?"  
"For who?" I wheezed.  
"For them: the Death Eaters."  
"No, no," I argued, "I don't. I hate them."  
"You're lying," he said.  
"I'm not. You can ask anyone. I'm friends with--"  
"I don't care if you're best friend is Voldemort himself. Come on." As if he left me any choice. The man seized me by my wrist and upper arm and began hauling me not so gently away from the town. He dragged me past houses and I saw the smoke from the burning building even from such a great distance. I tripped and stumbled on a large rock about halfway down a long alleyway.  
"Oh, god. Stop, please. I need to rest. I can't go for much longer," I panted.  
"All right," he answered shortly.  
"Thank you." I made myself crawl over to a back porch, where I sat and leaned against the wall.  
"Who are you?" the man asked me after a time.  
"Nicole," I rasped, not opening my weary eyes.  
"Do you have no last name?" he queried. I heard the faint amusement in his voice.  
"Nicole...Stevens. Nicky, to those who know me."  
"You are--no, no, you're lying," I noticed the slight panic in his rich voice.  
"I'm not. I'd call someone to verify it, but I am currently without a mean to contact anyone."  
"You're lying," he repeated. "Oh gods, you must be lying."  
"Look, person, I am who I say I am and no more about it," I growled, angry that he was unbelieving.  
"But...no, you're exactly as he described."  
I opened my eyes and saw my captor for the first time. His eyes were amber, and his face was pale, but I could tell he could be handsome if he ever had a few whole meals. His hair was long, reaching to his jaw. It was as black as a raven feather. He was not clean-shaven, and blue-black stubble showed on his chin.  
"So who are you?" I asked him, thinking vaguely that I should remember him.  
"I'm--Sirius. Sirius Black."  
"Ha!" I scoffed. "As if! Harry's godfather? Nope, no way, no how."  
"Now you're the one not believing me," he said. "And this from the girl who said 'I am who I say I am and no more about it?'"  
"If you were really Sirius Black, I would know. I mean, Black is handsome and courteous and sophisticated."  
It was his turn to laugh. He let out a small chuckle. "Well then. I never would have thought that my reputation would galvanize my attributes to the point of me supposedly being more handsome than I actually am. Well, miss, I regret to inform you that I am the one and only Sirius Black," he let a small grin show on his haggard face  
"And I'm going to believe you because why?" I asked sarcastically. "I mean, this coming from a man who has just kidnapped me, I think it is safe to say that the last thing on the earth that I need to do right now is to believe you."  
"I would ask Albus to tell you, but he's not here. So you claim to know everything about me, or Sirius; so, Miss Stevens, ask me three questions that only the true Sirius Black would know."  
I sighed and slumped against the wall. Then my dream came to me and I remembered some of the things about the Order.  
"Who is Ari Concadia?" I asked slyly.  
He looked startled. "She's a witch. Ari's a friend of mine who works on the Order of the Phoenix. She's equal to me."  
"Lucky guess," I muttered sourly. "All right, then. What is the Sword of Light?"  
"It is a sword that cam destroy absolutely anything. It could demolish Voldemort in a mere slice. Albus Dumbledore wields it currently."  
"Argh," I growled. "Right. Well, then. I can ask you this and if you're really who you say you are, then you'll know the answer. Who killed James and Lily Potter?"  
Sirius' face became grimmer. "Peter Pettigrew," he grimaced. "He framed me."  
I sat in utter bewilderment. "Then you're him. I mean, you're you!"  
He grinned, saying, "Yes, I'm me. Can you walk now? It's only about fifteen minutes more."  
"Yeah. Yeah I think I can." Sirius stood and offered me an exquisite hand. Well, t would have been exquisite, were it not for the dirt and grime mucking his long fingers gratefully. He pulled me lightly to my feet, as if I weighed nothing at all.  
I stumbled slightly as I trudged up the well-worn path. Sirius allowed me to swing my arm over his shoulders so he could support me.  
"So what're you doing here?" I asked as we walked lopsidedly towards the mountain.  
"I live here," was his surprising reply. Seeing my expression, which was undoubtedly startled, he explained, "I'm a convict, remember? Where else but a mountain hideout would I hide?"  
"Oh, I understand. I was just--"  
"Confused?"  
"A little," I answered. "So why are you taking me with you? Why not allow me to return to school?"  
"First of all, when I caught you, I thought you were someone else. When I realised who you were, I had already taken you too far. Had I let you make your way back to Hogwarts, you would have gotten lost in the darkness." He raised a finger to point at the sky, which was now the darkest colour blue and shot through with blood red.  
"So I'm going with you where?" I questioned.  
"To my cave. You'll stay the night and then I'll come with you a little ways into the village so you can go back to school."  
"Oh. Poor Draco, I'll bet he'll be worried sick," I murmured, longing for Draco's peppermint smell and comforting warmth.  
"Draco?" Sirius asked sharply. "Draco Malfoy?"  
"Yeah," I answered, blushing slightly. "He's my--uh--boyfriend."  
"For how long?" Sirius asked, his eyes glinting slightly.  
"Not very," I said, "a month, I think." He nodded, and we continued trekking up the mountain's gradual slope.  
As the darkness brushed the land in a shadow, I heard a wolf's cry. Searching the gloominess around me, I was thankful to find that there were no eyes peering back at me from the bushes. I raised my eyes to the sky and saw the moon's bright sphere in the sky, hanging there as if by strings.  
"It's a full moon," commented Sirius.  
"Oh, yes, I had noticed."  
"Wonder how Moony's holding up," Sirius muttered.  
"Eh?"  
"Never mind."  
It soon became so dark that the blackness seemed impenetrable. Sirius led me to a cave, where there was a large hulk settled in the corner, dozing.  
"What is that?"  
"Hippogriff," he answered in a whisper.  
"It belongs to you?" I asked.  
"In a way. Sit and I'll make a fire. I'm sorry, I don't have any food."  
"No, no, it's fine..."  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"So how'd you get away from the Death Eaters? I thought you were at Malfoy manor."  
"I was," he answered. "The explosions you heard were made by them. The Death Eaters were searching for Harry," his face grew worried. "And they were looking for Draco Malfoy and you."  
"Hmn, no surprise," I shrugged it off. "I've kind of gotten used to it by now. Ooh, ouch!" I withdrew my hand from the fire. A spark had suddenly jumped out and burnt my finger.  
"Let me see," Sirius took my hand and inspected my fingers. He was gentle as he dripped some cold water onto my fingertips.  
"Thanks. So what'll I do tomorrow morning?" I wondered aloud.  
"I advise you to hurry back to school. I don't know if they're still out there, but if they are, you'd best stay low."  
I nodded. "S'pose so." A large yawn escaped me, making Sirius smile.  
"I think it's past your bedtime," he chuckled. I had an urge to tell him to shut up, but I refrained.  
"I don't have a bedtime, but I am tired. So I'm going to sleep now." I flung my cloak out over the stone floor and lie down.  
Soon Sirius put out the fire and lay on the other side of the cave. I heard his heavy breathing slow and soften as he drifted into sleep. It was almost the same instant that I did the same.  
If only I had waited a moment more. I did not see the little rat's silhouette against the moonlight. I did not see it flick its tail twice and scurry out of the cave, down the mountain.  
Then again, I also was unseeing of the two large cat eyes peering at me from the entrance of the cavern.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Nicole, will you be mine?"  
"Draco--" but he pressed a gentle finger to my lips.  
"It's yes or no."  
"Well, well--"  
"Yes or no."  
"Yes," I whispered. He smiled lovingly and wrapped his arms around my waist. I kissed him softly on the lips and felt his warm body against mine.  
And I did feel someone close to me. It was someone whom I least expected.  
As I opened my eyes and stared up into the face of the man standing above me, three words came to mind: rat, Peter Pettigrew.  
He smiled wickedly and knelt beside me. Pettigrew pressed the heel of his hand into the hollow of my throat, raising a finger to his lips and motioning for me to be quiet. I paused undecided for a moment. And even before realising that I had come to a decision, I swung my leg up and around, knocking him in the back so that Pettigrew stumbled backwards and fell to the ground with a clatter. His wand rolled across the stone and I made a grab for it. The man was quicker than I had originally presumed, however. His hand darted forward and wrapped around my tender ankle. As Peter felt the swelling in my ankle from yesterday's rough trip, he increased the pressure of his grip.  
"Sirius!" I cried, clutching desperately at the wand, which was only a few feet away. There was a sleepy growl from the other corner of the cave and I pounded angrily on the stone. Pettigrew clamped a hand over my mouth. The balding man's fingers smelled like dirt. No wonder; they were covered in soil.  
I turned to find Sirius, only spotting a large--very large--dog lying where Sirius had been last night. The dog was shaggy-coated and black.  
"Sirius!" I yelled again, kicking madly at my assailant, who looked infuriatingly calm and collected.  
"It's no use," Peter drawled. "He's not here. There is nothing and no one here but me and you."  
"You--" I said a number of swearwords which all had very descriptive details to match them. "So there!" I ended my rant lamely.  
He only laughed a high, maniacal laugh. "You really don't understand--" I heard the large dog stirring, but didn't dare to look, for fear Pettigrew would see, too, "--I know you probably don't know who I am." The dog was sitting languidly up. "Because everyone thinks I'm dead." The dog had seen Pettigrew and me. "And I am glad for that." The dog was tiptoeing around us and creeping behind Peter. "So--"  
"Don't try it, Peter," Sirius' voice said from behind me.  
He let my ankle drop. I had a slight limp as I crawled to the other wall of the cave.  
A cold wind blew through the mouth of the cavern as Sirius stood above Peter, a large dagger in his hand. He held it at the whimpering man's throat, but Sirius was looking at me.  
"Did he hurt you?" he asked me.  
I shook my head, "Not severely."  
"All right. Pettigrew--" Sirius began.  
"Sirius, Sirius, oh please, don't hurt me. Don't kill me. I wasn't doing anything. I was just," his eyes darted around the cavern, terror-filled, "I was just--"  
"Come on, rat," Sirius said sharply, yanking the grovelling man to his feet. "Where are the others?"  
"Wh-what others?" he stuttered.  
"The other Death Eaters, Peter." I shivered at Sirius' cold voice.  
"Them? Why, I'd never--you can't believe--"  
"Ah, but I can," Sirius shot back. "You're coming to Hogwarts."  
The man was shaking his head and sobbing hysterically. It was childish for a grown man to bawl as Pettigrew did then.  
Sirius shook his head disgustedly and pulled the man outside. I rose to follow, just as I heard a silky voice from outside.  
"Darling Sirius," the voice purred.  
"Go away. I'm busy."  
"But, sweetheart," the woman trilled her 'r's. "You know you want me."  
"No, I don't. Nirvana--"  
"Hisst," I heard from outside. "Sssshe sssshould take him asss he issss."  
"Shush," the woman said.  
"Nicole, Nicole," I heard Sirius say under his breath from outside. I rose to my feet and crept out. Sirius was standing tall, clutching Peter's upper arm tightly. The woman in front of him was beautiful--breathtakingly so. Her hair was silky and honey-coloured. Nirvana's pale skin was marred by neither time nor adolescence. She looked to be in her late-twenties.  
"Beautiful puppy," she hissed as I snuck behind Sirius. "Too pretty to be a man, surely."  
"Nirvana," he whispered warningly, "let me pass."  
"Girrrrrl," the hissing voice said from somewhere near my feet.  
Nirvana spotted me instantly. She motioned for me to come closer. I reluctantly stepped out of the shadows and into her view.  
"To whom do I speak?" Nirvana asked politely, bending to pick up a golden snake from the ground.  
"You speak to Lyra Intagua," I lied.  
"Is that so?" she questioned.  
"Yes," Sirius answered. "It is so."  
"It's not!" Peter squeaked. "It's Nicole Stevens."  
"Lair!" Nirvana spat as her beautiful form changed and her head became like a bird's, and she was expelling fire with every breath.  
I flung my arms up to protect my face, as she breathed fire at me. Sirius grabbed my arm and we began hurtling down the mountain slope towards the village.  
"Run faster!" he yelled as I paused to look behind us. Peter Pettigrew wasn't in sight, but I saw a rat dart under a rock a few feet behind us. Nirvana couldn't be seen, but I had the suspicion that she was near. I heeded Sirius and sped up.  
And then I saw her. Nirvana was standing behind a tree. Sirius didn't notice her, and kept his pace.  
I calculated swiftly. She was not hiding behind the tree. She was waiting for Sirius to get to her so she could capture him. Then...  
"Watch out!" I cried, but Sirius couldn't hear me. I urged my legs to go faster so I might overtake him. I was level with Sirius, and the tree was steps away. I threw myself into the woman as she stepped out to catch him. Nirvana was thrown off balance as I slammed into her, and we tumbled onto the ground and rolled down the rocky hillside.  
She was scratching me with her sharp nails as hard as she could. I kicked back and we became engulfed in one large cloud of dust, which thickened as we fell. Nirvana aimed her claw-like fingernails at my eyes, trying to disable me. I punched her hard in the stomach and yanked her hair. It was painful for me, not only because of the woman's incredibly long nails, but also because of the sharp rocks that were continually jabbing me in the back.  
"Ack!" I cried as a black bird soared down and joined the brawl. It was slashing at me, as well as Nirvana.  
"Stop!" she exclaimed as the bird dug its talons into her arm. It ignored her, though.  
Soon, the ground became level and I pulled myself away from the vicious, fire-spitting woman. I stood weakly, leaning on the tree for support. One of my arms was broken, and my already-damaged ankle had swollen even more. Nirvana was heaving herself to her feet as well.  
"You," she gasped. "You lying, little scum."  
"Bit--" I began to call her a rude name, but stopped as I heard an icy cool voice say from somewhere near me,  
"Tut, tut, Nirvana. Go now. You have served your purpose." I recognised that voice, I knew it. But whose was it?  
"Somnus," the answer came as I thought. "Somnus, what are you doing here?"  
"Just here with my uncle," Draco's cousin answered. "I suggest you hurry out of here. Lucius shall be coming along any time now." He was standing in front of me in a billowing black robe. His face was almost like Draco's, and it made me yearn more than ever for my boyfriend.  
"I can't," I shook my head sadly. "I think I sprained my ankle."  
"Do a transportation spell," he suggested.  
"Don't have the ring," I said.  
"Use mine," he tossed me a silver band. "Have Draco return it to me."  
"Thanks," I said.  
"*Convey this crowd,  
On wind and cloud,  
To the castle of the king,  
By the power of this ring.*  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" I cast the spell.  
The mist consumed me and I heard Somnus whisper, I'll be seeing you.  
Soon I found myself standing before the gate leading onto the school grounds. I pushed them open and headed in, hoping that no other evil had transpired during my absence.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
A/N: Who is Nirvana, you may ask. I shall explain quickly.   
Nirvana is a western-Veela. She is a Death Eater. The black bird was...well, I'll tell you later. Hehehe...  
Thanks to the Mods, as always. They are soooooo good at their job. Hmph. The only things I'm good at is nitpicking and writing. (And there are still disagreements about whether I can do either of those, as well.)  
Thanks to Trillian Black, my beta.   
Thankies to ski-man, my reviewer, who, though disagreeing with me about Draco, is still nice to have.  
Thanks to Kara Kedavra, for all your comments.  
To Moonflower/Jessie Evans, thanks!!!!!  
Hemoine123, keep R&R-ing, please!  
Everybody else, thank you! 


	18. Chapter 18

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (18)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Draco Harry Sword Light  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, The Golden Compasss, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers  
Summary: Here it is. Chapter 18! Please read...  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own Philip Pullman's books, nor do I claim any right to the material. I do not owe Patricia C. Wrede's books, nor do I claim any right to the material.  
Author notes: Thanks, you guys! My biggest glomps go to Lor-Lor, Ash, Cat, Kait, Amanda, Shelby...  
Thanks to the mods!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Eighteen: Deception  
Once inside the castle, I sought out the headmaster first. It took me fifteen minutes to reach his office, but I finally reached my destination.  
"Bubblegum-lollipop," I said, tapping my foot impatiently. The gargoyle gave me a smirk and jumped out of the way as the wall behind it and I stepped through.  
Hurrying up the moving staircase, I soon stopped at the door to the headmaster's office. There were voices from inside, I heard three. One was upset, another was cool yet unhappy, and a third was calm and low. I rapped on the door.  
"Come in," the voices called. I pushed open the door.  
Before I had gotten the measure of the situation, someone swept me into their arms and began kissing me on the lips, neck, and cheeks. I smelled peppermint. Draco.  
"Um, I'm really okay," I told Draco. He tightened his grip on me, but I finally broke away.  
"Where were you?" I heard Harry ask in an accusing voice.  
"I happened to be escaping Death Eaters and meeting Sirius," I answered evenly.  
Draco led me over to a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore was sitting at the desk with his elbows on the desk and his fingers intertwined.  
"So, you have met Mister Black," he commented, smiling slightly.  
"Yeah. He sort of kidnapped me, but when he realised I wasn't a Death Eater, he took me to his cave and let me stay there."  
Harry's face showed extreme surprise. "But--he was a hostage--"  
"No, really? When the Death Eaters came to Hogsmeade, he got free. They were too stupid--no offence, Draco--to leave Sirius behind," I answered.  
"So there were Death Eaters in Hogsmeade last night?" Harry asked.  
"Yeah, didn't you know?" I said.  
"No," he replied.  
"Are you really okay?" Draco asked.  
"Yes. Except for a couple of singed hairs, I should be fine."  
I received a questioning look from the two boys, while Dumbledore merely sat placidly and waited for me to explain.  
"Well, I spent the night in Sirius' cave. When I woke up, I saw Peter Pettigrew standing above me. I kicked him and called for Sirius, only I couldn't find him. There was a massive black dog, though. The dog woke up, but Pettigrew didn't notice, and the dog just changed into Sirius."  
"You've got that backwards," Harry interrupted. "Sirius change into the dog, then changed back to himself."  
"Whatever. And the he took Pettigrew outside, and I heard a voice. Sirius called me out there..." I continued my story until I had gotten to the place where Somnus had lent me his ring.  
"There Draco," I tossed him the silver ring. "Send it back to him."  
"Sure," Draco nodded.  
"So, you met the famous Nirvana Quintana. I had suspected that you might sometime soon," Dumbledore said. "You must have been quiet surprised."  
"Who is she?" Harry asked.  
"What is she?" was my question.  
"She is a Western Veela. Veela are very intelligent creatures. In fact, they are even more intelligent than most humans. Nirvana Quintana is not a Death Eater, but she does some work for them occasionally. She went to school with Sirius, I believe. Quite fond of him, she was. Actually, they might have seen each other a few times," Dumbledore answered, his eyes twinkling.  
"Sounded like quite more than just 'a few times'. It sounded like she knew him very well," I commented.  
Harry scowled. "Yeah, right."  
Draco rubbed my shoulders as I sat and was berated by Harry about how worried he'd been. At convenient intervals, Draco would put in a quiet 'yeah.' He obviously didn't want to bark at me for hat I couldn't have helped. At least he understood.  
"And you should have at least come back before now," Harry ended loudly.  
"So sorry, Harry, I guess attempting not to have my head burnt off isn't a good enough reason to spare fifteen minutes," I mocked.  
He gave me a look.  
"So, now that we are all content," Dumbledore interjected, "I suggest that you go and make yourselves ready for the Halloween ball."  
"Halloween was yesterday," I pointed out.  
"I think he knows that," Draco whispered in my ear.  
"Yes. Yesterday the students went to Hogsmeade, and tonight is the ball," Harry informed me.  
"Oh yeah."  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"So how do I look?" I spun around before the full-length mirror, modelling my dress for Draco. He turned around to look.  
Once he saw the close-fitting black dress, Draco made an indistinguishable noise, before saying, "Damn."  
"What? Do you hate it?" I asked, frowning.  
"No. It's just...How am I supposed to go to the ball with you looking so--" he waved vaguely at the dress.  
"So what?"  
"Smnrg," Draco mumbled, a faint pink tinge appearing on his cheeks.  
"Excuse me?" I asked confusedly.  
"Sexy."  
"You think I look sexy?"  
Draco nodded, the tinge darkening.  
"Ha," I laughed. "I knew it! You're embarrassed to say it!"  
Draco shook his head, coming to stand behind me. He took me by the arms and pulled me closer to him. I leant my head back on his chest and looked up at him.  
"You know, you could admit that you're embarrassed."  
"If I was embarrassed, I would tell you."  
"Oh, right. Well, how do you explain the blushing?"  
He slid his hand down to my waist and kissed the top of my head in reply. Draco hooked his arms around my waist in a circle, kissing my neck. "Mmn...I didn't blush. I was just thinking about...something."  
"What was the something?" I asked playfully, pulling his lips onto mine. "And where's my birthday present? You said you'd give it to me yesterday, and here I am without a gift. If you were really dedicated, then I would be standing here looking at the--"  
"Best boyfriend in the world," Draco said, a slight smirk forming. "And here it is," he held a little black box in the palm of his hand. I made a grab for it, but Draco stepped away from me and held it above his head, at least seven feet up in the air.  
"Beg for it," he ordered.  
I gave him the You-Must-Be-Mad-Just-Hand-It-Over look, only to receive Draco's unforgettable eyebrow-raise and smirk.  
"Beg."  
"Don't make me pounce on you and beat you over the head," I threatened. "I'll do it."  
"I can risk it," Draco replied, flashing a grin.  
I gave him a small smile, toying with his emotions. Then I stepped to face him, so close that we were barely touching. Looking up into his face, I poked him gently in the chest. He stepped back. I strode forward again and ran my finger from the hollow of his throat and down his torso.  
"So you're going to make me beg," I said so quietly Draco would have to strain his ears to hear. He didn't answer. I scraped my finger further downwards, to his belt. Draco exhaled slowly as I drew my finger back up.  
"I don't think I can do that," I said. My fingers were rested on his chest, where I could feel his heartbeat, which was going faster that was normal for him.  
"Excited?" I asked, prodding his chest again.  
Draco made a noise that I took for an assent.  
"Good. Then let's go to the Ball, and you can be excited there."  
"No," Draco argued. "No. Let's stay here." I could hear the euphoric undertones in his voice. He raised his hand, resting it on my cheek, before trailing his fingers down to my jaw. Draco rested his other hand on my hip, tugging gently at the black fabric of my dress. He was gentle and subtle in pulling me closer, but I was not about to miss the ball.  
"Come on," I pleaded. "We'll only go for a little while. Dinner, a dance or two, at the most."  
Draco shook his head, pulling me to him. "Do you want your present, or not?" he asked.  
I sighed, stepped away from him, and walked to the door. Pausing with my hand on the doorknob, I said, "When you're ready to come to the Ball, I'll be waiting there." Then I walked out the door, leaving Draco alone.  
Once I was out in the Slytherin hall, I let myself grin. It was almost too easy to get him excited. I knew that he was probably still standing there where I had last seen him, breathing deeply and trying to force the noradrenalin from gaining control of him altogether. I giggled quietly and began walking to the Great Hall for the Halloween Ball.  
As I neared the hall, I heard the sound of many voices. Coming into sight of the doors, I saw that almost the whole student population was gathered around them.  
I could see Harry's messy black hair as I approached. I came up behind him and tapped his shoulder. Harry turned around to see who it was, and then gave me a questioning look.  
"Where's Malfoy?" he asked.  
"Calming down."  
"Why does he need to calm down?"  
"Because if he doesn't I think he'd feel perfectly fine with snogging me in front of the whole school," I answered nonchalantly. Harry's expression altered slightly.  
"So what did you do this time?" Harry inquired.  
"Nothing. Well, I just wanted him to give me my birthday present, but he wouldn't. So, I excited him, but I think I went too far, even for his level of control. He sounded just about ready to--"  
"Never mind," Harry interrupted. "I don't want to know."  
I shrugged. "Why are we all standing out here?"  
"I don't know. I think they have a surprise for us, or something. Who knows what they have in store for us?"  
"Who'd you come with?" I asked him.  
"Stag," he said shortly.  
"Oh."  
Just then, the crowd suddenly became louder, as the door were opened. There was confusion everywhere, and a tide of bodies was sweeping into the hall. I dragged myself out of the throng of students, struggling to find an empty place to wait for Draco. It seemed there wasn't anywhere to wait that wasn't crowded with people. Soon, the horde had dissolved to a few stragglers, and the entrance hall was less congested.  
I felt someone's presence behind me.  
"That wasn't nice of you," ah, it was Draco. He rested his hands on my shoulders from behind, squeezing gently.  
"I know. It was intentional."  
I could almost feel Draco smiling. He let go of my shoulders and took my hand, leading me into the Great Hall.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
We sat at the same table as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. It seemed that Draco had made an agreement with the boys. He would be respectable, and they would try not to murder him for the night.  
Currently, the three were involved in a conversation about Quidditch.  
"No, the Wronski Feint actually originated from Poland," Draco said coolly.  
"Well, I disagree," Ron argued.  
"For once, I have to agree with Mal--Draco," Harry said. "Quidditch Through The Ages says that the Polish Seeker, Josef Wronski, came up with the move."  
Ron scowled.  
"So, Hermione," I asked, leaving the boys to converse as they liked, "what have you been up to, lately? I really haven't been keeping up with everyone else."  
"Not much," she answered, taking a sip of her cider. "I've been studying, but nothing else, really. Ron's still being a bit of a pain about Gin and Harry, but I can't blame him."  
"Ginny seems different," I said, glancing at the next table, where the youngest Weasley was sitting.  
"I know. I hardly know her anymore. Colin Creevey," Hermione took a fleeting look at Ginny, who was sitting next to Colin, "said today that she's been acting funny. Her dorm-mates say she rarely sleeps well, and when she does manage to stay asleep for more than an hour, she talks. They said she was rambling on about Tom and a book. It makes very little sense, but I think she's been having nightmares about her first year."  
"What happened in her first year?" I asked.  
"You don't know?" Hermione sounded incredulous. I shook my head. "In Ginny's first year at Hogwarts, there were attacks. People kept being found, petrified. Everyone said it had to do with a legend. They said that the chamber of Secrets had been opened again. I was petrified, too. Well, they later found out that Ginny had been possessed by Tom Riddle--" I froze, remembering the handsome boy in the temple, "who was," she lowered her voice, "Voldemort."  
I went white.  
"I need to go," I said suddenly. "Draco, come on. We have to go." I tugged on his arm. Draco looked at me worriedly, but seeing me jerk my head at the doors, he nodded, standing.  
"Sorry," he said to Harry and Ron. They gave us an odd look as I pulled Draco out of the hall. Once we were out of the doors, he stopped.  
"What is it?" he asked.  
"I met Tom Riddle."  
"You did what?"  
"Tom Riddle, Voldemort, they're the same person. I saw Tom Riddle in the forest a few weeks ago. I need to see Asriel. I can't go alone. Come with me. Please."  
Draco shook his head, pulling me back, for I had already started to the doors.  
"No, we can't. If you saw Riddle, then you need to talk to Dumbledore, not Asriel. Asriel couldn't help you."  
"But Asriel could tell me about the book!" I yelled.  
"What book?" Draco asked slowly, sounding worried. "What book, Nicole?"  
"The book I saw him with. It was black leather--"  
"His diary," Draco said, grimacing. "My father's up to something again." He leant wearily against the marble wall. I stood beside him, confused by what he had said.  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean he's given her the book, again. The diary," Draco clarified.  
"That's not good, is it?" I asked, knowing the answer and fearing it.  
"No. We both have to talk to Dumbledore. Maybe he'll know what to do. Ow!" he said suddenly, touching his forearm.  
"What is it?"  
"The Mark. It burned. I need to leave," Draco said. He slipped a silver ring on his finger. "Wait for me in my room; I'll be back," Draco said, touching my cheek. He gently lifted my face to his and kissed me softly on the lips. It was over before I had even realised it. And Draco had disappeared.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
I waited anxiously in Draco's room, sitting in a chair, with my back rigid.  
It had been three hours, and Draco was not yet there. He had promised to come back. It had sounded like a promise, at least.  
What if something happened to him? I wondered.  
He's strong. He'll come back.  
I know, I know. I'm worrying over nothing. I'm beginning to sound like I'm his wife or something. He's fine. I should get some rest. Sleep would be good.   
"How long have you been sitting like that?" I heard Draco's voice. I looked at the door, where he was standing.  
I jumped up from the chair and rushed to him, circling my arms around his neck.  
"I was so worried," I said. Now I really sounded like a worried wife.  
Draco wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning his head on mine. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to take so long," he apologised.  
"It's okay."  
"You must be tired, after sitting for so long," Draco said, a hint of laughter in his voice.  
"A little bit," I answered.  
Draco laughed, and bent down, picking me up in his arms and carrying me like a child. He brought me over to the bed, tossing me onto the bed and sitting down beside me. He smiled down at me.  
"Do you want your present yet?" Draco asked.  
"I do," I said, sitting up.  
"Here it is, then." He extended the little black box again. I plucked it from his hand, and opened the hinged lid. There was a delicate ring inside, with an opal set into the silver. I removed the ring from the box, staring at it amazedly. Draco took the ring from me.  
"Give me your hand," he said quietly. I extended my right hand. Draco took it and slipped it on my ring finger.  
"Are you asking me to--?"  
"Not yet; this is just a prelude, I suppose. If, in a year or two, you still want to get married, then we'll take this ring," he tapped the oval stone, "and put it on another finger, to be replaced by something a bit bigger...and flashier." I blushed slightly, but since it was dark, Draco probably didn't notice. I locked my arms around his neck again, kissing him. "Should we discuss the other ring now, or later," Draco asked, chuckling. "I was thinking a diamond the size of a boulder, but whatever you'd like..."  
I giggled, looking into his eyes, which were orbs of pure black. He stared into my eyes, as though searching for something unsaid, hidden in my eyes.  
"So you really would marry me," he whispered, as though only realising it now.  
"Did you think I was lying?"  
"No, I just wasn't sure how serious you were."  
I tried to stop myself from laughing.  
"Well, you need not worry about be seriousness. I'm quite serious."  
"Oh, really?"  
"Yes," I answered. Draco tilted my chin up, so I was looking directly at him. Then he kissed me, softly at first. He deepened the kiss, as I ran my fingers through his hair and tugged at his robes. Draco leaned me back, one hand supporting my back and the other supporting my head. He laid me on the bed, leaning into me, and never stopping the kiss. But finally he had to pull away for breath. His face was centimetres from mine, and I could feel his hot breath on my skin.  
Then there was a knock on the door...  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
A/N: Cliff-hanger, I know. Oh, well. Thanks to everyone who helped, especially all my great English teachers. I'd also like to thank Lor-Lor (Laura), Ashley, Amanda, Shelby, Catherine and everyone else who helped me.  
Thanks to the Mods, who are very speedy.  
Also, thankies to my beta, Trillian, who is about to kill me for lack of problems. I hope this one has enough mistakes in it!  
AquilisRose 


	19. Chapter 19

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (19/?)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco Tom Sword  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust  
Summary: Nicole is in trouble. A lot of trouble. And WHO was knocking at the door at the end of the last chapter? All will be revealed...  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own, nor do I claim any right to Philip Pullman's books.  
Author notes: Thanks to Tril, my beta, Lor-Lor, Ashley, Amanda, and Cat. You're the best, guys.  
  
Also, thanks to the Mods, for being great.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Nineteen: Captured  
There was a knock on the door...  
Draco pulled away from me quickly, standing and straightening his robes. I sat up, smoothing my hair.  
"Come in," Draco called. The door opened, and there were footsteps. The door was wreathed in shadow, so neither Draco nor I knew who had just entered.  
"Draco," the person said from the shadows. "Son. Thank you for following up on your promise. Now you have proved yourself. Miss Stevens, if you would please--"  
"Draco," I said fearfully, "Draco, you didn't--" He turned to me, his eyes full of sombre hatred, but I knew that the loathing was not for me, but for the miserable creature that was his father.  
Draco took my hand, and pulled me up from the bed. He let my hand drop as I stood, and I tried to keep the tears from my eyes. His father stepped from the shadows.  
Lucius smiled the smile of a murderer. He came forward, standing in front of me. His eyes were so unlike his son's that it pained me to look into them. Lucius' hair was clean, his robes crisp. I exhaled, my breath hissing.  
"You bastard!" I hissed. "You low-down, selfish, son of a--"  
"Oh, no, no, no," Lucius sighed, shaking his head and letting a small, evil grin show. "I can assure you, I am not selfish. Now, Son, the Dark Lord can be proud of you. Come, Miss Stevens. The carriage is waiting, and my business associates are very impatient to begin."  
"To begin what?" I spat. "The human sacrificial ceremony?" My words dripped with revulsion and antipathy. "Isn't it a pity that I'm already busy, you cheating, scum of a bovine?!"  
Lucius smirked, "Son, I think you had better take this filthy b--" he called me something very vulgar, "outside, before I decide to take the pleasure of torturing her now."  
Draco looked at the ground, nodding mutely. He took me by the forearm and roughly pulled me to the door.  
"I will be outside shortly," Lucius said. "There is something else I must attain to first."  
His son continued to pull me out the door. I followed resolutely; biting my lip to stop the flow of vulgarities that would escape me is I let my harsh control slip. Draco led me out into the hall, taking me out the entrance to the Slytherin common room. He was utterly silent, not saying anything. His face showed no emotion, and he would not allow me to see his eyes, though I knew what I would see if I could. I knew I would see fear, sadness, and despair. It would be the exact same as it had been one year ago, at Christmas.  
"Draco," I whispered as he dragged me out of the front doors, into the cold night air. "Draco, stop. Look at me." He shook his head and continued to tug me down the front lawn. "Draco, look at me." He did not respond. "God damn it all!" I yelled, frustrated. I dug my heels into the ground, jerking him to a stop. He would not look into my face, only the ground.  
"Draco, look at me!"  
"What!?" he yelled back, letting me go. I stood, amazed that he had relented. "Why do you think I hide my face? I don't wish for you to see me! I don't want you to pry into my soul!"  
I seethed with anger, but that only lasted a moment. Then, I shoved Draco with all my might and he landed flat on his back. Draco sat up, but did not stand. I had an urge to kick him, but I didn't. Instead, I nudged him in the chest with the toe of my high heel, pressing hard enough so that he was forced to lie back onto the ground again. I placed my foot over his heart, with very little pressure.  
"Why did you do this?" I asked him, my breath hanging in a mist in the cold air.  
"I didn't have a choice!" Draco yelled, finally meeting my eyes. I stared furiously down at him, and he looked away.  
"So you sold me to Voldemort again," I said quietly. "Well, it figures."  
"Excuse me?" Draco asked, managing to look incredulous and angry at the same time. "I didn't realise that he was coming tonight! I thought he would wait! You think I wanted this? Well, I do hate to burst your lovely bubble, but I don't want this!" he grabbed my leg and yanked it out from under me, so I landed with a thump on the soil next to him.  
"You are exactly like him," I said cruelly. "You and your father are one and the same. The same blood, the same eyes, hair, lips, everything! I knew I never should've broken it off with Harry! I loved him, but I never loved you!" I was ranting and I knew it but it didn't seem to matter anymore. "What I felt for you was a crush, and what we had was a fling. I don't know why I let it continue for so long. You led me on last year, and you have done the same this year! Why I trusted you I'll never know. Maybe your charm won me over, but it won't win now! It won't have a chance to, because I'll be dead!"  
"You never loved me?" Draco asked in amazement.  
"No!" I lied.  
"Give me the ring," he ordered, extending his hand, palm up.  
"Take it!" I threw it at his forehead, where it hit him squarely between the eyes. He caught it as it bounced off. "Now I'm going off to meet my painful, torturous doom, I'll send you a post card!" I yelled, standing. I stomped off towards the gates, not thinking that it would be a perfect time for escape.  
I ran out of the gates, stumbling in my high-heeled shoes. Seeing a horseless carriage waiting a few paces away, I stalked over to it and pounded on the door. It opened, and I stepped onto the steps, and clambered inside.  
I was greeted by the over-powering scent of dark magic. Dark magic, like dark wizards, had an aura, which was between a taste and a smell. The fumes of darkness hit me head-on, and I staggered backwards, and nearly fell out of the carriage. My vision was blurry, so I only saw a flesh-coloured blot that was someone's face leaning over me and hauling me back into the coach.  
The hand was rough as it yanked me back up, and onto the seat. It was still difficult for me to see, so I used my fingers to feel the material of the cushion: velvet. Then I felt for the person who had seized me before I fell. But before I could, a voice said from the opposite side of the coach, "Not blind, are you?" Then I recognised the voice. Somnus, yet again.  
"Somnus," I murmured his name, enjoying the smooth way it flowed over my tongue. "Could you sit by me? I really can't see--yet. And, to answer your question, no, I'm not blind. It's just--"  
"The fumes," Somnus finished quickly, moving to sit close beside me. I enjoyed his warmth, and felt even calmer when he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him. "I know. Uncle is horrible about it. He won't shield them, not even for me. I can hardly breathe. How are you? Your breathing, I mean."  
I tried to get a sufficient gulp of air to answer. "It could be worse. I can breathe, a bit, but...oh, Somnus, how did I ever get into this mess?" I cried, suddenly exasperated.  
"Shh," Somnus quieted me, "relax. Sleep, if you'd like."  
"Would you make Draco leave me alone?" I asked, suddenly childishly fearing the dragon-boy. "I don't want him to bother me."  
"Of course," Somnus whispered. "Shh, sleep."  
"But--"  
Sleep, I heard Somnus' voice in my head. I did not have time to register what he had done, before my mind was wiped blissfully blank, and the blackness of dreamless sleep encompassed me.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Where is Lucius?" was the first thing I heard after my awakening.  
"Don't know," came the sullen reply. "How is--?"  
"She's fine, really. Mad as hell at you, though. Not that I blame her. It serves you right to lose her after what you've done...again."  
"Oh sod off, will you. I did what I had to do. I told her that if she really loved me--" it was Draco, I finally noticed, and his voice was breaking, "--then she had to understand that there was a chance of this happening. I warned her, but...she didn't care. Or, at least, I thought she loved me enough to do that, but she said--" his voice had completely cracked, and it turned into a half-sob, "she said that she shouldn't have ever come to me."  
"Buck up, Cousin."  
"Could I...hold her, or something? If she's asleep, she wouldn't...I just don't know what else I can do."  
"She asked me if I would keep you away from her," Somnus said.  
"And you answered..."  
"I agreed, naturally."  
Draco's voice came in a harsh rasp, and I knew he had sworn loudly.  
"Somnus, your elbow, it's digging into my ribs, and--thank you," I said.  
"Oh, you're awake," both Malfoy's said.  
"You noticed, Somnus?" I asked, my sarcasm returning. "Where's your uncle, anyway?" I was careful not to direct anything at Draco. I could almost feel his gaze on me.  
I was blinking against the harsh, un-flickering light inside the carriage. Somnus was sitting beside me, his arm no longer wrapped protectively around me. His hair was as perfectly combed as ever, and his eyes were, unlike Draco's, a crystalline blue that seemed impenetrable. Somnus' eyes sparkled like light-coloured sapphires as he looked at me. After a whole minute of staring unrelentingly into Somnus' eyes, and being met with the same gaze, Draco coughed loudly. I looked down at the floor, finally removing my gaze from Draco's cousin's eyes.  
"So, er, Nicole," Draco began awkwardly.  
"Shut up," was my reply.  
"But, I wanted to--"  
"Shut up."  
"No, that's not what I wanted to do," said Draco, giving me a look. "I wanted to apologise."  
"Hmn...for what?" I asked. "What it because of your repulsive behaviour towards me earlier?"  
He scowled, visibly angered. "Look, I am trying to apologise; the least you could do is to acknowledge my existence."  
"Somnus, do you hear something? It sounds like a fly."  
"No, Nicole. I don't hear a thing," Somnus said, glad to take part in my game.  
"Oh, must've just been the wind."  
"How childish can you be?" Draco asked me.  
"There's that nasty fly again," I sighed. "Will it ever get the hint that we don't want it here?"  
"I doubt it," Somnus answered, shrugging. "But--" Suddenly, the carriage door opened, and Mister Lucius-the-Bovine Malfoy stepped in. He sat beside his son, carrying a black bundle about a metre long.  
"Gift for Voldemort?" I questioned bravely.  
"No," he answered. "That is what you are for. This is something else."  
"Oh, delightful," I scowled, but the carriage gave a sudden lurch, and we were off. "Now--" I began my rant again.  
Sleep, now, Somnus whispered into my mind for the second time.  
And for the second time, I was whisked away to the land of sleep. But this time, I dreamed.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Somnus!" a girl cried. She reached out for her brother, as she was dragged, screaming, away from him. The frustrated teen struggled to grab onto his youngest sister's hand, but the hands restraining him yanked him back.  
"What are you going to do to her?" Somnus cried in anguish. He knew the answer, but hoped desperately that he was mistaken.  
"Never you mind," said a gruff voice from one of his captors.  
"I do mind!" he screamed. "What the hell are you going to do to my baby sister?!"  
"Shut up," said a second voice from behind him. "You shall see her again."  
"Alive?" asked Somnus, still frightened and struggling against the men that held him from his sister.  
"Not necessarily," said the voice. "That shall depend on your behaviour."  
Somnus nodded resolutely and allowed himself to be taken back to the dungeon. Once inside his cell, he spoke to his companion, a boy with vibrant green eyes and messy black hair.  
"They're all cruel," he growled. "She never did anything to them."  
The other boy only stared blankly at the wall.  
"She--Jade, that is, only wanted to be a good person. Honestly." It seemed that he was trying to redeem his sister in the other boy's eyes; if he could not make amends for himself, then at least his sister had a chance of fond remembrance.  
"And, I know I screwed up so badly, but that shouldn't make you think any less of Jade. She--well, she really was nice to Nicole. It wasn't like she had sold her to the Dark Lord, but, then again; I didn't do that, either. That was my cousin's doing."  
"I hate him," the first words from the green-eyed boy. It appeared that he hadn't been paying attention until now.  
"Who, Draco? Oh, yes. Well, I don't blame you. She wasn't very fond of him either--Nicole, I mean. Apparently, they dated for a while before he sold her to the Dark Lord, but when she found out, she was very mad."  
"I miss her," the other boy said.  
"Harry--may I call you Harry?--well, you see, I don't know exactly what's happened to her, but...I'm sure, just positive, that she's in perfectly good health. I know that neither my uncle nor my cousin would hurt her."  
The other boy's eyes flashed angrily, "You're lying. Don't lie to me. I know the truth, all right? I know there's no hope, and even if there was, I'd commit suicide, I'm sure, because she'd go run off with that bloody traitor again."  
"Oh, Draco, again? No, no, I'm sure she wouldn't," Somnus reassured.  
"You're lying again," Harry said drearily, leaning his head back against the wall.  
Somnus shrugged. "Oh well. If you do want to commit suicide, I'd go with quick-acting poison. It seems the quickest way to die."  
Harry nodded miserably, saying, "I think so."  
"This sucks," Harry said, some time later.  
"It does, doesn't it?" Somnus said with that air of one commenting that the sky was looking quite blue.  
"Yes."  
"Oh, listen," Somnus put a finger to his lips and tilted his head. "I think there's someone coming."  
"I don't want to stay here any longer," Harry said. Somnus merely shrugged, and Harry thought that the other boy had completely gone off of his rocker. And, in truth, he had.  
Then the cell door opened...  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
I opened my eyes to see a bright sword about an inch from my nose.  
"You really think she can wield that?" I heard Draco's voice from far away.  
"Ack!" I screamed, not moving for fear of goring myself in the eye.  
"Oh, good; she's awake," Somnus said, retracting the sword and helping me to my feet. "So she finally awakes, just as we get her all situated on the bed," Somnus commented.  
"Where are we?" I asked groggily, still not fully awake after my who-knows-how-long sleep.  
"We are at my home," Draco said snootily, as if he was announcing that "yes, Nicole, human breathe air."  
"And where might that be, Somnus?" I maintained my game of only speaking to Somnus, standing up.  
"I haven't the foggiest," he answered, "though a map might tell you more than I can."  
"Oh, thanks," I said sarcastically. "You're such a marvellous help."  
"He is, really," Draco said, smiling at me. I nearly hit him. "Well, I'll just be going. Somnus, stay with her and make sure she doesn't curse my underwear to glow in the dark."  
"Then other curses will still be tolerated?" I asked, smirking.  
"Somnus, just keep her away from a wand," Draco said. Somnus nodded uncaringly and shrugged gracefully. Draco flashed me a dazzling smile and strode out of the room, pinching my cheek gently. I nearly slapped him but he had disappeared from the room before I had the chance.  
Still seething, I sat heavily on the bed that I had just risen from. I took advantage of Draco's absence, and began to survey the room in which I was staying. The walls were deep green, so dark that I could hardly tell that it was green, and not black. The floor's plush carpet was a lighter green, like the colour of a python. And the bed I was sitting on had a soft, velvet bedspread, which was black, like the walls. I longed to lie on the soft bed and fall into a dreamless sleep, but with Somnus standing guard, I wasn't sure if I wanted to let my guard down.  
"You can go to sleep, you know," Somnus stated from the opposite side of the room. "I won't kill you in your sleep."  
"Why were you waving that blasted sword in my face earlier?" I inquired, shivering at the memory of its radiant blade.  
"Uncle Lucius said I should have it ready or you, when he called for you to be taken downstairs."  
I muttered incoherently, tugging at the uncomfortable fabric of the black dress I had worn earlier that night. Somnus, noticing this, said, "I had Jade gather some of her dresses for you."  
"Mm...hmn..."  
"Would you like her to deliver them to you?"  
"Mm..."  
"I'll take that as a yes," he said, going to the door. "Promise you won't curse Draco's underwear?"  
"No," I answered truthfully.  
"Good," and he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I heard the click of the lock as it shut.  
So I waited for Jade to come. 


	20. Chapter 20

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (20)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Draco Tom Sword  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust  
Summary: Crisis! Oh, the drama, the life, the passion. Okay, I'll shut up and let you read now...  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own Philip Pullman's series, nor do I claim any right to them.  
Author notes: Thanks to Lor-Lor, and AShley, who isn't speaking to me. You give me my inner turmoil! Yay for you!  
  
Thanks to the Mods.  
  
And, THANK YOU Trillian!!!! Tril, you're great. One day for the beta-ing! Woo-hoo!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Twenty: Malfoy Manor  
Draco led me down an unfamiliar passageway. They were all unfamiliar, as I had been sleeping when they had brought me. I wished desperately that it was all just a bad dream, but who had heard of a dream where someone dreamt about dreaming? It was a hopeless wish.  
Draco kept his arm tight around my waist, which would have been welcome contact at any other time in any other world. I desired to take the sword that I held in my right hand and slice Draco's arm open, but I knew that I was no master of fencing, unlike Draco. He would have disarmed me in seconds, which was my main reason for not attempting to attack him.  
This passage was long and dark, there were no lights, but it seemed that Draco was radiating a dim light, so there was no need for other light. The floor was made of dark stone, and the heels of my shoes clicked with each step I took, a sound that would give anyone a tic that had to listen to it for too long. The walls were wood-panelled; a homely effect in most places, but it certainly did not feel homely in this, which I fondly named Hell.  
"This manor was built in fourteen forty-seven," Draco informed me smugly. "My family has lived in it for centuries."  
"Oh, good," I declared gloomily. "My death will be in a really old manor. Oh joy, oh rapture."  
Draco shrugged, his face expressionless. "I doubt my father will kill you. Enlist you in the Dark Lord's services, probably, but he wouldn't kill you. Not when you are so valuable."  
"How lucky am I!" I retorted. "I'm not worthless. Oh, thank god. I thought my life was meaningless to everyone but myself." I covered my face with my hand and pretended to sob with joy, before saying, "You are a miserable cretin."  
"Pity. You've reduced me to a cretin when I was exactly like my father."  
"Your father is a cretin too."  
"Delightful."  
I shivered as we reached an ornate staircase. It led down to a large entrance room. Draco escorted me down, removing his arm from my waist and holding my hand instead. As we stepped off the staircase, a wave of coldness swept over me, and I wished I had a cloak to warm me. Draco noticed my shivers and paused behind me. He unclasped the silver chain at his throat, and took off his cloak. He wrapped the cloak around my shoulders and fastened the cloak's silver chain around my neck.  
"There," he declared as he resumed his place by my side. "Can't have you shivering."  
"Thank you," I said, glad that I sounded sincere. Draco shook off my thanks, taking my hand again. Maybe he wasn't so heartless after all. Wait, was I forgiving him for selling me to Voldemort because he loaned me his cloak?  
Draco led me through a pair of huge doors with carvings on them. They depicted a scene that I knew I should have recognised, but did not.  
"What do the carvings show?" I asked him.  
"Purgatory," he answered shortly. "Between Heaven and Hell."  
"So you aren't an Atheist after all," I laughed. "I had no idea you knew anything about Religion."  
A faint pink tinge appeared on Draco's cheeks, a blush. "This manor was once a castle. It has a small chapel in the back. Believe it or not, my father taught me about religion early. Before I was three, I knew the Ten Commandments, and I knew instantly how different I was from my father. My father used religion as a punishment, almost. If I wasn't obedient, he would take me to the chapel and make me read the Ten Commandments aloud for hours on end. He wanted me to remember the only the things that he could benefit from, like how I was supposed to be submissive to those higher than me, him most of all. But he never thought I would refuse to kill because of it, never thought I might..." Draco sighed, "Ignore me. Just forget I ever said anything."  
I had ignored where we were going as he spoke, and when I suddenly realised that we had continued walking, I stopped and looked around me at the room we had arrived in. It was undoubtedly the chapel Draco had been speaking of. There were two rows of pews, with an aisle in the middle. At the front of the chapel, there was a carving of an ancient Druid-like figure standing behind an old altar that had a large book on it.  
I looked to Draco. He was staring at me with a reserved expression. I turned to look at the room once again.  
"So you weren't lying," I whispered.  
Draco didn't say anything. He placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me around to face him. Without a word, Draco tilted my chin up and kissed me gently. He deepened the kiss, waiting for me to react. I didn't realise it, but I had suddenly wrapped my arms around his neck, and we sank onto one of the benches. He pulled me onto his lap and his hands were tangled my hair. He leaned me back, with his hand supporting my head, so I was lying flat on the bench. Draco's tongue roamed around my mouth, tasting me, searching for a response.  
I ran my fingers through his hair, his silky strands sliding between my fingers. Draco pulled his lips away from mine, his breathing raspy and hot on my skin. I twirled a strand of his silver-white hair around my forefinger, looking up into his grey eyes. His eyes sparkled with a fire that I had not seen in days. My Draco was back.  
"I'm sorry," Draco whispered. "I'm sorry I betrayed you. I'm sorry I used you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." he faded off, resting his cheek on mine.  
"Draco, I'm sorry too, but you're heavy and this bench is hard," I said. Draco sat up, moving further away on the bench. I sat up, smoothing my hair.  
Draco's hair was ruffled from where my fingers had run through it. His cheeks were feverish, and his breathing was heavy.  
"Did I hurt you?" Draco asked, lowering his eyes. "If I did, I really didn't mean to."  
"No. I'm fine. I feel better than I have in days," I said. It was half-true.  
"Oh, all right. Well," he stood up and extended a hand to me, "come here. I want to show you something."  
I accepted his hand, and he led me to the front of the chapel. He took me behind the altar, and opened the old book there. It was an ancient Bible, I now saw. Draco put his finger on a line of print.  
"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever," Draco quoted. "Very true."  
"I agree," I said. "So what are we doing here?"  
"Waiting," was all he said. I watched as Draco silently mouthed the words of the Bible, his lips forming each syllable. He became lost in the ancient scriptures, and I decided to explore the small chapel. I left Draco standing at the altar and began making my way through the aisle down the centre of the room. Looking at the stained glass windows, I saw that dull light shone through. It was morning.  
"Draco," I said, turning around, "what are we waiting for?"  
He looked up, shaken out of his semi-trance. "We're waiting for my father and the Dark Lord."  
"Oh, so they're coming to have Sunday school with us?" I asked in mock-politeness. Draco smiled slightly, but shook his head.  
"I don't think Voldemort is much into the Bible," Draco replied. "We have to wait for them; Lucius said he'd show you how to wield your sword." I raised the sword, and its blade reflected the dim morning light.  
"How long have I been gone from school?" I wondered aloud.  
Draco looked at the silver watch on his wrist. "About ten hours."  
"Wonderful. Do you know if--" I froze as I heard the audible sound of the chapel's door opening. I turned around slowly, and saw the two men whom I hated most. The Dark Lord and Lucius Malfoy. Lucius stood in the doorway as Voldemort strode forward to meet me in the middle of the room. He stopped a pace in front of me, and I stared insolently up into his red snake-like eyes.  
"Miss Stevens, what a lovely young lady you have grown to be."  
"Lord Voldemort, nice to see you again. I do hope that since I am a lady now, you will treat me like a lady, and not a child."  
"I do not think you want for me to treat you like a lady," Voldemort hissed. "It would be far more painful."  
"The more pain the better," I growled. "You certainly didn't spare me any pain last time we met."  
"That was a mere test of your endurance."  
"Oh, nice. So would you like to tell me about your plans? I remember last year that you tricked Harry into coming here, but do you intend to do the same this year? I'm not sure, but I don't think he'd fall for that again."  
"Let us sit and we shall discuss the matters at hand. If you have any questions once I have explained, please, do not hesitate to ask me." He gestured towards one of the pews, indicating that I should sit.  
"Have no doubt that I will," I said, sitting as he had instructed.  
"Where should I begin?" Voldemort mused. "Hmm...I think I should probably tell you about my childhood, so you can further understand why you were brought here. When I was born, my name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. My mother was a witch, and she died giving birth to me. My father, Tom Riddle, was a Muggle. He left my mother as soon as she had told him what she was. He would not raise me, instead choosing to leave me on the doorstep of an orphanage.  
"For many years, I lived there, being used and abused by older children at the orphanage. When I received my letter, telling me what I was, I thought that salvation had finally come to save me. Later, when I arrived at Hogwarts, I learned about my lineage. I discovered that I was the last remaining heir of the famous--or infamous--Salazar Slytherin. I sought to learn his ways, Parselmouth and the Dark Arts. As I discovered more of my ancestry, I began to see how powerful I was. I could control and distort the minds of others, altering them.  
"Then I learned about the famous Chamber of Secrets, a chamber allegedly containing a magical serpent that could kill with a glance. I learned how to access the chamber, and gained control of the monster. I caused it to harm Muggle-born students, the filthy slime who did not deserve to learn the magic that they had no right to know of. When it finally killed a girl, I knew I must shift the suspicion and blame onto a fellow student, Rubeus Hagrid. He had a particular fondness for violent and deadly creatures, and so he was the perfect scapegoat. I had him expelled, and let the Basilisk become dormant again.  
"During all of this, I had recorded my thoughts into a diary that I had bewitched to record events and keep my image alive in. It could not reveal my secrets, because the ink immediately was soaked into the pages, thus enabling me to write my innermost thoughts without fear of being found out. But Albus Dumbledore, the Transfiguration teacher then, always suspected me, though I was Head Boy and a particularly good student. He tried to convince the headmaster, Professor Dippet, that I was guilty of murdering a fellow student and of petrifying many others. But there was little proof to support his theory, so Dippet dismissed it.  
"I left Hogwarts, discarding my filthy Muggle father's name, and using the name that I had created for myself: Lord Voldemort, a name that would become feared and hated in wizarding homes all around the globe. I killed my father--" he said it without any emotion, as if teenagers killed their parents everyday--"and gathered followers, whom I knew would be ever faithful to me, and then I struck. I killed many whom I knew to be followers of Dumbledore. And that was how I lived for many years."  
"But why did you want to kill Harry, who was only a baby?" I asked, almost too stunned to speak. Voldemort had just poured his life's history to me. Why?  
"He was--and is--very dangerous. His power is too great, and there are only two people who know exactly how great his power is, Albus Dumbledore and I," Voldemort answered. "I knew that I could not risk being overthrown by Harry Potter when he was older. If his emotions were ever strong enough, he could cause devastation. His mother died for him, also increasing his power. I did not want to kill her. She was only a girl."  
"Well, why would you show pity for one young woman, and not for others?" I queried.  
"I killed only those who had no future but to grow old."  
"What about James Potter? If Lily Potter had a future, then would her husband not also have a future?" I speculated.  
"A very good question indeed. Yes, he had a future. He was very intelligent. His lie would have been useful to the world, but you must understand that while I had no mercy for James Potter, I did not intend to kill him that night."  
"Comforting," I muttered. "So, tell me about last year, this year, and your plans for me, and for Harry."  
"Last year, I had been plotting to use you in my efforts to get at Harry Potter. It worked, in the end, but not as I had planned. I learned many things, but I also did not manage to kill Harry Potter. But I did hurt him. I reminded him of the fact he has been trying for so long to ignore: so long as he has friends, they are forever in danger of being victims.  
"This year is different, very much so. Harry Potter is more powerful this year than he has ever been before, because he has learned more about himself, and the real world. He has matured, part of which comes from the fact that he was betrayed, bewitched, and bedazzled. He also has been experiencing one of the most conflicting emotions ever to be felt: love. Not the flimsy love of boyfriends and girlfriends, no. He has encountered the biggest barrier he will ever face. He does not want to face it, but he knows that if he wants to live with himself, then he must confront his deepest fear. What he must do, I will not reveal, but be assured that when he decides to deal with his emotions, you will know."  
I nodded, pondering what he had said. "So what part do I play in all of this?"  
"You will also have to make a very big decision. You must decide what your next move will be." I suddenly thought of a chessboard. "You can decide now or later."  
"What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously.  
"Do you want to take the burden of defeating Harry Potter, or would you rather stay here, and try to puzzle out an escape route?"  
"If I chose to face Harry, what would I have to do?"  
"You would have to kill him."  
I gave him an extreme-question-mark look.  
"Tell him you love him, and then kill him."  
"I don't know what I want to choose," I admitted, even though I was fairly certain of my decision.  
"Then should I let you alone for a while to decide?" he asked.  
"Yeah, that would be nice."  
"How long do you need?" Voldemort questioned.  
"An hour," I answered.  
Voldemort stood, bowed, and walked out of the chapel, his black robes billowing out behind him. Lucius smiled his snake-smile at me, before trailing after.  
"Come here, Draco," I ordered wearily. He came to sit beside me, looking sympathetic. "I don't want to kill Harry."  
"I don't blame you."  
"Would you help me escape from here?"  
"It would take too long to get back to Hogwarts," he said. "And there are all sorts of traps, and--" he bit his lip in a nervous way, "--and, er, enchantments, magical beasts. It's a veritable menagerie of danger; it even has impassable labyrinths of man-eating shrubs and the like. There's no way to get out."  
"Thanks for being my bright beacon of hope," I snarled derisively. Draco took on a hurt, puppy-dog expression. "Sorry, Draco, but...this just isn't helping." I wanted to throw a chair out the pretty stained-glass windows, but there were no chairs at hand.  
"Well, there are anti-Apparition charms on the manor, and the standard silver rings Voldemort gives out don't work here, they go haywire if used around here."  
I muttered a colourful expletive under my breath. My last chance of escape was gone. My luck was just lovely.  
"You would need a Malfoy to get you out, and I can't because I'm working on a potion with my father...I don't think Jade is competent enough to get you out, and who else is there?"  
"Well, there is Somnus," I suggested.  
"Right, then. I'll just run off to fetch him then and you'll be off in a snap," his voice was mocking. He snapped his fingers and smiled. "You think Somnus would help you? Why?"  
"I don't know...he might, though. Would you ask him?" Draco crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow. "Please?"  
"What do I get for it?"  
"I don't want to play games right now."  
"Too bad. What do I get?"  
"You get my extreme gratitude and a goodbye kiss."  
"Good enough." His smile widened, and he stood and escorted me out of the small chapel.  
"You owe me one," he said as we walked.  
"You owe me two." We grinned slightly at each other, and kept walking, as I tried to forget that I was in Malfoy Manor being kept by the Dark Lord and that I might possibly be making a horrible mistake. 


	21. Chapter 21

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (21)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Tom Sword  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA  
Summary: Nicole has problems.  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   
Author notes: Thanks to Tril and all my friends!  
Thanks to the Mods!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Twenty-One: Here We Go Again  
"Somnus, I need a favour," Draco began, trying to act cool and condescending, but failing. "Okay, look cousin; I'm giving you a job. You have to get Nicole back to school, before anyone notices she's gone. Don't let her get her arm bitten off by the viper bush in the garden. And be careful."  
"Why am I helping you, again?" Somnus asked lazily, his quill poised at the top of a piece of parchment. I watched as a large drop of red ink dripped from the quill's tip and splotched onto the parchment, which Somnus seemed oblivious to.  
"You are helping me because--" Draco seemed to have trouble thinking of Somnus' debt to him. I began to wonder if Draco had ever done anything for his cousin. "You are helping me because I helped you with a Latin essay."  
"That was five years ago," Somnus said with an expressive flourish of his hand. "So I count that as a dead debt. Any other debts you can dredge your mind for?"  
"Well," Draco said, almost defeated but not willing to show it. "Just--fine. If you won't do it for me, do it for Nicole." Draco grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me in front of Somnus, trying to get an expression of pure innocence and pleading while also acting arrogant. "Come on, Somnus, don't be so stiff. I'll pretend like I sent you to fetch me something. Now take her back to Hogwarts, and if you want to use a carriage, I'll make up an excuse; or if you want to use your transportation ring, go ahead, but only when you get inside the village."  
"I'll do it, but I'm not doing it for either of you. Draco, you used the Imperius curse on me to make me take her back to school, Nicole, you just went along with Draco's plan. Good? Okay. I'd like to tell Jade where I'm going before I leave, so if you'll just excuse--"  
"No, I forbid you to tell your loud-mouthed sister where you're going. She gets into enough trouble as it is, and if anyone asked her anything, she'd tell them where you had left for. No, no, no," Draco said, shaking his head. "Too bad you love your siblings, I don't care. Just leave."  
"I won't leave without telling Jade," Somnus pushed past Draco to get to the door, but Draco caught his arm and pulled him back.  
"No."  
"Let go of me, before I decide I won't help you at all, and decide that Uncle Lucius and the Dark Lord need to hear about your plan."  
Draco growled something I could not distinguish, but Somnus had obviously understood it.  
"Shut up." They started quarrelling, and I sat at Somnus's desk. It was always funny to watch Draco when he argued, because he made up the most ridiculous things, but always seemed to win.  
"Fine, go tell your sister that you're going to be gone for a while, and then come back here," Draco consented finally.  
"All right. I'll be back in about ten minutes." Somnus walked out, leaving Draco and me alone in the room.  
"Stubborn good for nothing--"  
"Malfoy," I finished for him. "You're all like that. I bet it's the curse of the Malfoys, they must always be obstinate. I'm not sure about your father, or anyone else, but I know you're stubborn."  
"Well, that shows how much you know about me," Draco said. "I might have a couple of times where I might be very determined about what I say or want, but it's not like I'm flat-out determined to have my way all the time."  
I snorted disbelievingly, "Of course. Whatever you say."  
"What? I'm not!"  
"Sure. Tell that to the rest of the world. I'm sure they'll believe you fully."  
Draco scowled and pouted, going to sit on Somnus's bed. He lie back, his shined shoes resting crossed on the black velour bedspread showing a coat of arms showing a viper wrapped around a sword. His eyes looked nearly clear blue because of his entirely black surroundings and outfit. It was almost disconcerting; Draco's eyes looked like Somnus's.  
"So, when am I going to see you again?" I asked Draco, trying to keep the concern from my voice. "Will I see you before the summer?"  
Draco stopped cleaning dirt from underneath his already immaculate nails, and raised his eyes to mine. I thought I could see a glint in his gaze, but almost as quickly it was gone. "I'll probably be back before Christmas. You'll get a letter from me every once in a while, as well. I think I can manage to have a letter smuggled out."  
I nodded, relieved, for the most part, that he would at least owl me sometimes. At least I wouldn't be completely cut off from the only boy who had betrayed me twice and gotten away without a broken nose.  
"Come here," Draco said quietly, sitting up. "I need to tell you something." From the tone of his voice, I could tell something was wrong.  
I went to sit beside him, and he pulled me onto his lap. It seemed to be more for his pleasure than for mine, because I had his knee digging into me, but I let him, wondering what he wanted to say.  
"The sword my father got for you, you'll have to keep. It's not evil, if that's what you're thinking. It's something that you can use for protection. And when you're back at Hogwarts, be careful. Stay away from the Slytherins. There are only two Slytherins besides me that you can trust, Snape, and Pansy Parkinson." My look of complete revulsion and disgust must have showed on my face, because Draco amended himself quickly. "She'll help you, because she knows you're mine." He used a possessive pronoun, which didn't bother me, but it did strike me as different.  
"So if I need help from a Slytherin, I go to...?"  
"You'd go to Pansy first, if you needed help with the other Slytherins, and you'd go to Snape if you needed help that only an adult could give."  
"All right. Well, I suppose this is goodbye. Somnus should be back any moment." I stood up, Draco following. He reached for my hand, but I withdrew it, shoving my hand in my pocket. "Let's not say goodbye. We'll have to say it when we really won't see each other ever again."  
Draco mumbled an agreement, before someone knocked on the door.  
"Come in," I said.  
"You needn't worry," Draco said. "Whoever it is will come in whether or not you want them to."  
The door opened, and in stepped Somnus, who looked entirely livid, Lucius Malfoy, who seemed extremely spiteful, and Voldemort.  
I turned to Draco and thought, Here we go again.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Trying to escape again," Voldemort said, laughing coldly and circling around me like a wolf circling around a sickly deer. "Pity, pity, pity."  
I struggled against the bonds that held me to the chair, and yelled something obscene through the gag they had bound around my mouth. Voldemort smiled, and, in a show of how unimportant I was, walked out of the room, down the single spiral staircase that led down from the tower. I was left alone, pondering the moment when I had first known something had gone wrong.  
When I had seen Lucius and the Dark Lord come in, I knew that something was amiss. They had captured me, Lucius receiving a blow to his gut, and a black eye. Then, I'd been "escorted"--they called it that but it wasn't really true--to this god-forsaken tower that had a crap heating system (none at all) and then, to add insult to injury, I'd been tied to a chair and scorned. What an awful mistake.  
This sucks, I thought forlornly.  
I know.  
Why do I always screw up? I asked my conscience.  
Well, my conscience had just begun on a very long explanation, when I heard a step creak. Someone was coming up the staircase.  
I waited anxiously for a moment, before a black-haired head showed over the rickety handrail. The boy--it was a boy, I now noticed--had turquoise eyes and fine black hair. Tom Marvolo Riddle, the Dark Lord, Voldemort; these were all his names. He was the one everyone had trusted in his days at Hogwarts, the one who had killed his father. This was the monster, the viper, the wolf. But he looked oddly--handsome. Evilness was attractive on this boy, who also reminded me vaguely of Harry Potter. Was Harry evil? No, no. I was thinking crazily.  
"Stevens?" he asked, as if we had never met. "Nicole Stevens?" I mumbled something through the gag. "I never thought I would meet you again." He walked behind me, and my muscles tensed, ready to be hurt. But he only untied the bind around my mouth.  
"Thank you," I choked hoarsely. It was surprising how dehydrated a person could get after only a couple of hours of being imprisoned. Maybe lack of water causes people to want water more...?  
"Tell me," Tom kneeled before me, raising my chin so I was looking him in the eye, "why you tried to con Somnus Malfoy into getting you out?" His voice sounded so kind, so caring, and it made me want to cry on his shoulder and tell him everything about me, and why I was here.  
"I..." I choked back a sob that grew in my chest. "I...don't know. I just don't like it here...I want out. Can you get me out?" I beseeched.  
"No," Tom said, with a compassionate smile. "I cannot help you escape. But, if you would like for me to remove these bonds," his fingers were at my ankle and dancing lightly up my leg. "I could do that. And, if you assured me that you would not try to escape, then I could take you to my room, and you could get some sleep."  
Sleep, the forbidden word that I had refrained from even thinking. It caused my eyes to droop with tiredness, and I had to fight to maintain consciousness. I knew that if I did not keep myself awake, I would probably never wake again.  
"I won't escape," I murmured, trying to stay awake. "I won't do anything but sleep. Sleep, I want sleep. Must have...sleep."  
"Good," Tom said as if he were pleased. I saw him extract a shining silver dagger from his boot, and he sliced away at the bonds that were cutting painfully into my ankles and wrists, before hacking off the large silvery cord wrapped around my waist.  
Tom offered me his hand, and pulled me to my feet. I slumped against him, faint from tiredness, and he caught my thin body with ease. Tom decided immediately that I could not walk, and picked me up in his arms. My body was limp in seconds, because I had finally received what I needed most. A nap.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
I woke in much the same position as I had fallen asleep, only this time I was held against someone, and lying on a bed, which I considered a large improvement. A hand passed over mine, and I heard the heartbeat in the chest I was cradled against.  
"Hmn..." I let out a slight yawn, looking up at the person who was sharing their warmth. Seeing Tom's eyes sparkling playfully, I jumped out of his arms like a cat out of water. Tom stretched on the bed, and put his hands behind his head.  
"What's wrong? Did the kitten wake up from the nap and realise that she wasn't home anymore?" Tom asked, laughing softly. Realising that he was using an odd metaphor, I frowned. Being called a kitten was not something I enjoyed. There happened to be only two boys whom I had ever allowed to call me "kitten", Draco and Harry. Tom wasn't either of them.  
"I'm not a kitten," I hissed irritably. "And where am I?"  
"You are in the red room of Malfoy Manor," he answered, waving a hand at the red blanket, walls, and carpet. "And this happens to be my room, currently."  
"Well, why am I here?"  
"You are here because you asked to be here right before you passed out."  
"Uh-huh. I'm going now--" I started for the door, but Tom brought me back with his next few words.  
"You can't leave this room."  
"And why not?"  
"Because you promised not to escape and because if you try there is a set of enchantments on the door that makes it impossible for you to leave." I scowled at this new revelation.  
"So, in other words, I'm stuck here with you forever?"  
"No. I can leave. And, when I decide that it's safe for you to roam again, I'll remove the spells."  
"Will you tell me when you do?"  
"No," he answered, smiling cruelly. I growled an obscenity, and went to sit at the desk on the far side of the room by the window, through which pale moonlight was shining. How long had I been asleep? This question, among others, was the reason I would humour this demon from the past.  
"So, Tom," I walked over to him and sat next to him on the bed. He grinned slightly, as if he could read my movement, and see my every muscle tense beneath my calm exterior. "You seem to know a lot." Stroke his ego... "And I'm really confused about where I am. Surely you could tell me something..."  
"Actually," he smiled his snake-smile up at me and sat up, "I can tell you quite a lot about this manor. Is that what you meant?"  
"Well, yes."  
"All right. This manor is twelve generations old. In the past, this was a castle owned by Audren Malfoy the third. Audren was a noble among the commoners. He had relations that were dukes and duchesses, and so he was given rule of this land and all the land around it. When Audren died, his wife, Mariana, who was much younger than Audren, took over the estate. Her eldest son, Nikolas, became the next true ruler. However, there is a mention of a child, a girl. When she was mentioned, it gave her name: Nikole. Oddly enough, her name and yours differ by only one letter. Nikole's brother, Nikolas, died at the age of twenty-one, and so Nikole was forced to take her brother's place. She was a prophet, apparently, and she consorted with Mortem Agdeburg. They had many likenesses, and believed much the same about Mortem's prophecy."  
"So...?"  
"So, when she died her oldest son took her place, and it goes on until Lucius Malfoy became the head of Malfoy Manor." He stopped, and I could tell that my interview was finished. Tom looked at a watch on his wrist and said, "I must go now, but I shall be back before the sun rises." He stood abruptly and left me, and I was alone, sitting by my self.  
"Well, great. I know a lot about Malfoy Manor's history, but I have no way to get out, and no way to contact help. What a great planner I am," I berated myself, chastising myself for not asking questions that might help me in some way. I was such an idiot.  
"I wish there were a book to tell me all I need to know," I sighed. Then, as if by magic--probably was--a stone door became visible, and a passageway appeared behind it. "I wonder if Riddle knew about that." I stood warily and stepped over to the passage, which had appeared beside the desk. It was with extreme caution that I waved my hand in the doorway to see if I could pass. Apparently the spell only applied to doorways that Tom knew about, and it seemed that this one had been unknown to him.  
I went through the passageway, and the door slid closed behind me with a snap. I jumped at the sound, but continued onwards, hoping this led outside to the salvation that would surely await me if only I could make it there.  
After five minutes of hearing only the steady drip of a leak and my own footsteps, I came to a curtained opening. I pushed aside the curtain, revealing that the room was relatively small, with potion ingredients on two shelves, and books on three other shelves.  
I stood in the room for a moment, before gathering my wits and beginning to rifle through the stack of papers that was on the table. Finding only old documents with a foreign language printed on them, I stopped and went over to the shelves containing books. There were some written in Latin, but I found some that were written in old English. I knew I had little time, so I did not even attempt deciphering the scrambled languages.  
A sudden noise startled me, and I spun around, searching for the source. As I saw a door slowly opening, I threw myself back through the entrance through which I had come, and waited against the wall. There were soft voices in the other room; I could hear Somnus' lazy drawl, and Draco's sulky tones.  
I peeked around the curtains, and saw that Draco and Somnus were pulling books and potion ingredients from the shelf, and arguing. It seemed like there was no one else there, so I took a chance and stepped out of hiding. Draco saw me immediately, and he just stood there, looking mildly incredulous. Somnus took a fraction of a second longer to spot me, but when he did his expression was one of scorn, most likely for is cousin's open-mouthed staring. At least, I hoped he wasn't smirking at me.  
"You shouldn't be here," Somnus drawled.  
"Why--"  
Somnus pointed behind me, and I spun around, coming face to face with none other than Tom. 


	22. Chapter 22

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (22)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Harry Tom Sword  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA  
Summary: Nicole has problems.  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   
Author notes: Thanks to Tril and all my friends!  
Thanks to the Mods!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Twenty-Two: Harry  
Tom grinned evilly down into my face. I felt faint, and confused thoughts raced through my head. I wasn't supposed to be here...had to leave...no, run...run away...  
"Miss Stevens," Tom put his hand on my elbow and drew me closer to him. I could hear Draco's muttered curse from somewhere behind me, and that was when I absolutely knew it: we were all at the mercy of a deranged dark lord and there was to be no escaping. "Miss Stevens, you had better come with me. There are a few urgent--" his smile transformed into a smirk, "--a few urgent matters we must discuss. I was under the impression that you would wait in the room for me to return, so we could rationally talk things over, but apparently that was not to your liking, so it has been decided that you shall be removed to the dungeons."  
"Well," I said, stumbling over my words at first, but gaining control, "well, I happened to accidentally come upon the door into this place," I waved a hand at the room. "I never meant to leave, you see, so I think it's unnecessary to take me to the dungeons. In fact, I was just about to--"  
"No," Tom said, shaking his head and smiling as if I were a child. "You must follow me to the dungeons, where you shall be kept until further notice."  
I thought vaguely of saying something cunning, but all I could choke out was, "I hate dungeons, Draco knows." Tom shook his head and led me out of he door through which Draco and Somnus had entered earlier. Once out of the boys' hearing, Tom slid his hand down to my wrist and pushed me roughly against the wall. He wore a silver bracelet on his wrist that dug into my skin, but my mind became entirely blank as Tom began speaking again.  
"You were warned--I took time to warn you. You did not care. Never even stopped to think?" he asked, noting my open-mouthed expression. "I do not believe that, and it is a lie. You wanted to leave this hellhole. I do not blame you. Would you like to know why," he pressed my wrists into the wall, and I thought I heard something snap, "I chose to leave you instead of babysitting you like Lucius wished?" I whimpered in pain; my wrist was definitely injured. "I chose to leave because I thought you might like to rest without the obvious discomfort of having me lingering. I was thinking about your personal interests." Tom looked into my eyes, and a sadistic glint appeared as he saw my tear-rimmed and pain-filled eyes.  
"I told you I never meant to--" but I had to stop because he increased the pressure on my arms. "I told you I didn't intend to leave, but..."  
"I do not believe you because I know now that you are not to be trusted. Now come." He pulled me by the arms, thankfully, and took me down, down, down. With every step, I could feel the cold sinking deeper into my skin, and before long I could feel the cold gnawing at my bones. It attacked me as I struggled to keep pace with my long-legged companion.  
"Aha, here we are," Tom spat, and I could dimly see a cell door being opened. He shoved me inside, and I flung my hand out to catch myself. The cold stone was unyielding, and with only my hand to break my fall, I landed rather ungracefully. The door clanked shut, and I heard the sharp tap of Tom's receding footsteps as he left me alone in my dark cell, where I was blind in the darkness.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
I had managed somehow to crawl over to the small cot in the corner, and yet again managed miraculously to climb into it and yank the mildewed blankets over my shivering body. Once left utterly alone, I had finally been forced to see the truth, which was that I would have no chance of escaping from this cell.  
When I had come to that conclusion, I was almost glad to sink into the unconsciousness that consumed me. It was a welcome blackness, rather than the dark and dank prison I was held captive in. Knowing that I was safe at least until Tom came to fetch me (or rats ate me, which was unlikely); I had been able to sleep almost easily.  
However, when I was awoken by being shaken roughly by the shoulders, I was not the most pleased person on the earth. My eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness, but even so, I could only just make out the eyes peering down from the face that was hovering above my own.  
"Get up," a rough voice commanded.  
I shook my head and yawned slowly, "Nah...where're we going again?"  
"Come." The man yanked me to my feet, and I stood wearily. It was with a great reluctance that I had woken at all, and now I was being forced to come...would the injustice never end?  
The man, who was burly, led me through a twisted maze of passageways and tunnels, up staircases and through doors, but never once pausing to rest or to allow me a break. And, when he finally stopped, I found we were standing before a large pair of doors, which had carvings deeply etched into the dark mahogany. I inspected the intricate cartouches for a moment, before the doors opened from inside and I was led into a lavishly beautiful room that I knew upon sight. This room could only be the ballroom, for it had an ornate gold chandelier dangling from the ceiling, gorgeous cream and gold marble flooring, and mirrors on every wall. I walked into the centre of the room, mesmerized by the paintings on the ceiling so far above my head. The painting was of cherubs and baby angels, with gold hair and gleaming halos, each playing in and throughout the clouds. I looked at their bright smiles, and thought, This is completely out of place.  
"Miss Stevens," a silky voice drawled from the doorway behind me. I turned around quickly to face Lucius Malfoy. He stood at a respectful distance and bowed to me, which I returned with only a nod of my head. "I do apologise for startling you."  
"I don't see why," I said. "I wasn't surprised to see you." He smiled, showing his perfect teeth and displaying how charming he could be if he wanted to.  
"Very well, then. I notice you were observing the paintings," he said softly, coming to stand by my side. "Why?"  
"Because they are very beautiful," I answered truthfully. "Or, perhaps it was for lack of anything better to do. Your choice, really, as to which you would like to believe."  
"The reason I had you brought here, was because I wanted to speak with you about a matter which has troubled me for quite some time, and continues to. It concerns my son. As you may know, he is my only child, and I want only the best for him." I gave him a sceptical look. "I know that you disbelieve me, and I cannot blame you for it. In truth, I never wanted Draco to become a Death Eater. I wanted him to live his own life, make his own decisions, and be a better man than I. I had no choice in the matter, however. Our Lord was determined to take my son into his service."  
"Apparently," I said.  
"And, though that battle is not yet over, I still wish the best for Draco. If he truly wants something, I allow him to have it. I would buy him everything, if only he would change his mind about this one issue."  
"Which is?"  
"He has assured me that you will take his hand in marriage, if and when he asks you. I would buy him anything, if he would choose some other woman better suited," Lucius admitted bitterly. I realised how difficult this was for him to say, and kept quiet. "But he will hear none of it. If he chooses to ask you to marry him, I will not interfere. But, what concerns me most is why he loves you, as he most certainly does, and if you love him."  
I blinked slowly, looking at Lucius' sharp profile, much like Draco's. "Well, I suppose I love him. Of course, I dislike what he does, being a Death Eater and all, but I can't help that. He can't either, it seems. I would probably agree to marry Draco, if he chose to ask me, but it seems like when I begin to trust him, he suddenly turns on me, and I am left either mentally or physically injured."  
Lucius looked at me, sizing me up. "I understand."  
"I'm quite sure you do. I know you hate me; I'm not particularly fond of you, either. But, I love your son, and I will never hurt him intentionally. The times I have hurt him have been completely accidental. And, if you are willing to accept me into your family, then I'm willing to be your daughter-in-law."  
He nodded slowly, and then returned his gaze to the ceiling, saying, "But you must promise me one thing, and then I will ask no more of you."  
"What?"  
"Keep Draco safe."  
"I will. I promise I will."  
Lucius nodded, and then turned to go, but as I spoke he stopped. "You know, if you had chosen not to be a Death Eater, you would be a really noble man."  
He looked at the floor for a moment, before continuing out of the ballroom. I watched the doors shut, and then looked back up at the mural on the ceiling. Then I lay on my back on the marble floor, the angels staring down at me with tears in their eyes.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
I had fallen asleep on the floor of the ballroom. When I awoke, it was only because of the soft kisses I felt on my neck and lips. My eyes flickered open, and I found myself staring into the soft grey eyes belonging to Draco. He sat on the floor beside me, cradling my head in his laps.  
"Morning," he whispered.  
"Mm...what time is it?"  
"About six o' clock. My father let me in about an hour ago. He said you two had spoken..."  
"Yeah."  
"I hope it wasn't too painful."  
"You needn't worry about the painfulness of the conversation. At least, not for my sake. I think I was paining your father more that he was paining me." I sat up, and Draco pulled me onto his lap, as I wrapped my arms around his neck and cuddled against him.  
"He said something about noble men?" Draco gave me a slightly curious look.  
"I told him he would have been noble had he not been a Death Eater."  
"You're not getting along with my father are you? My mother doesn't even get along with him." His voice sounded slightly incredulous.  
I shrugged slightly. "I don't know, but we came to an agreement."  
"He told me I could marry you," Draco whispered into my ear.  
"I know...amazing, isn't it?"  
He nodded and wrapped a few strands of my hair around his finger. My dress, which I had been wearing for probably two days, was wrinkled, and I was sore all over.  
"What about Potter?"  
"What about him?"  
"You mean you don't know?"  
"Know what?" I asked, laughing quietly.  
"Nicole, he's here."  
My eyes widened and I fell off Draco's lap. I scrambled away from him, and stood, up, leaning against the mirrored walls. Draco had stood, and his brows were furrowed, as if he were thoroughly confused.  
"Nicole, what is it?" he asked worriedly, taking a step toward me. "What's wrong?" I shook my head.  
"I...I...take me to him. I need to see him. We'll work something out."  
"Work something out?" Draco smirked slightly. "What exactly do you need to work out?"  
"If either of us is going to stay alive, he and I must devise a plan. Where is he?" Draco frowned and shook his head.  
"I'm not supposed to tell you."  
"Who told you not to tell me?"  
"Riddle," Draco answered, shaking his head. "You know I can't tell you."  
"All right then. Well, I'll see your father. Surely he'll--"  
"No," Draco answered. "No. If you want to see Potter, you'll have to ask Lord Voldemort or Riddle."  
"Then take me to Voldemort." Draco shrugged and we began walking out the doors, but as we reached them, he stopped, turned to me and kissed my cheek. Taking this as a good luck gesture, I strode boldly forward and threw open the doors.  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
Draco took me through many halls and up twisting staircases. He led me well, unfaltering even as the darkness deepened. Draco glanced at me when he thought I wasn't looking, and I could see his eyes were full of sadness. But I would not back down. This was my decision, and I had made it. There was nothing else for me to do.  
It seemed as if hours had passed, but in truth it had probably been only a few minutes before we arrived at a doorway. Draco opened the doors, and I walked through them, trying to master my squirming insides. I heard the doors close, and saw that Draco had left me. Was he trying to abandon me? No, I knew that wasn't true. Most likely, he was forbidden to enter.  
This room was cosy and inviting, and it was styled in a Victorian motif. There was a chaise longue by the fire, which was cackling merrily, and two comfortable-looking velvet chairs. Also, bookshelves lined one wall of the small parlour and stretched to the ceiling, where a crystal chandelier hung from a gold chain. And, other than the long-stemmed rose in a vase on the desk, I was the only living thing.  
Thinking it best to be comfortable, I went and sat in the chair by the fire, putting my feet up on the footrest. The fire had been stoked before I had arrived, I presumed, since it was radiating heat and burning well. I wondered who had been here before me, but decided it wasn't important. The only thing I needed to do right now was to think. Actually, thinking had become one of my strong points. I could problem solve much better that I had last year, and I was much less inept when it came to devising plans and escape routes.  
If Harry was here, which he undoubtedly was, then he had obviously been tricked into coming. What had they used to get him here this time? Voldemort never worked the same way twice, so he wouldn't have sent another ransom note. What else could he have used? I was sure Lucius hadn't retrieved him from school, but there was nothing else I could come up with.  
My pondering was interrupted as the door swung open and I heard footsteps crossing the plush red carpet. I looked behind me to see who had come, but it was certainly not who I had expected.  
It was Harry.  
"Harry," I exclaimed gladly, standing. But Harry waved a hand and gestured for me to sit down again. "How long have you been here?" I asked next, sitting.  
"About a day," he answered brushing a stray lock of hair for his forehead. His scar seemed to glow in the firelight.  
"Well, how are you?"  
"Fine, I suppose."  
"How did you get here?"  
"Oh," he paused, fingering the sliver bracelet around his wrist. "They sent me an owl saying they had kidnapped Ginny and you, and then I met them on the Hogwarts lawn. They took me in a carriage."  
"Who is 'they'?" I asked.  
"The Death Eaters."  
"Was it Lucius?" Harry shook his head, looking deep into the fire. "Who was it then?"  
"I think it was the Lestranges," he said.  
"Oh...Well, how are we going to get out of here?" He returned my question with a blank stare.  
"Out?"  
"Yeah, out. You don't want to stay here, do you? I was thinking, maybe we could get out by just walking out the front doors, but..."  
"I heard they have too many traps."  
"Oh, come on, Harry. You've escaped lots of traps. Surely Malfoy Manor doesn't have too many for you to handle." He shook his head.  
"No, I know that is impossible. I have seen their lawn, and it is impassable."  
"Well, how else do you think we could get out?" He shrugged. "Harry, are you tired, or something? You haven't been acting normal."  
"Tired? Oh, yes. I am exhausted."  
"Well, then, maybe you can sleep on the couch thing over there," I pointed to the chaise. "And I'll just sit by the fire. If they want either of us, you can just wake up."  
"No, I think I should probably go." He stood up, sticking his hands in his pockets.  
"But you don't know the way."  
"Well, I know how to get to the dungeons, and I can sleep there."  
"No, it's too cold in there. You can stay here and I'll read, or something." Seeing that I would not let him leave, Harry nodded and sat back in his chair.  
"I'll just go get a book," I said, and Harry nodded mutely. I stood and went to the bookshelf, searching for a book that looked interesting. There were some with titles like, How to Be an Evil Overlord in Ten Simple Steps, Necromancy Today, and, my personal favourite, So You Want to Rule the World and Kill Everyone. I chose the book on how to become an evil overlord, thinking that it would at least be good for a few laughs.  
When I returned to my chair, I sat and propped the enormous book on my lap and began reading.  
Chapter One, How to Cast Spells  
Step one, draw wand hand upward. Step two, make an evil face. Step three, say the magic words and draw your wand downwards.  
For step one, you must begin by holding your wand tightly in your wand hand.   
It grew droning after that point, so I cast the book onto the footrest and looked into the fire. The flames had died a little, and small sparks winked from beneath the ashes. The embers glowed and cast the room into a darker light. I looked at Harry, whose eyes had closed sometime during the half hour that I had spent choosing and reading the book. His chin rested on his chest, and the dying fire's light cast his face in a bloody light. His eyes looked sunken-in and hollow, and his cheekbones seemed sharp. It was as if I were seeing him through a red-tinted glass. As I watched him, his eyes flickered open, and they glowed red. I squeaked, but then realised that the red was only from the light, and Harry's eyes were still as green as ever, but...there was something different.  
"I must be going," Harry said, standing.  
"No, it's all right. They haven't come for you yet."  
"No, no. I will be right back. Just wait for me here." He stood and left the room quickly, seeming to change as he left. I shook my head, trying to forget the image of Harry's red-coloured eyes.  
"I am not going mad," I declared.  
Or am I? I wondered. 


	23. Chapter 23

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (23)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Tom Harry Sword  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA  
Summary: Nicole has problems.  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   
Author notes: Thanks to Tril, the Mods, and all my friends!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Twenty-Three: Polyjuice Potion   
Harry returned, some time later, looking like he had been sick. He greeted me wearily, and we sat by the fire, which he stoked from his chair. The pallor of his skin was worrying me, so I had to ask, "Are you okay, Harry? You don't look well."  
"I am perfectly fine," he assured me, before abruptly changing the subject. "Earlier, you suggested that we might escape from here, did you not?"  
"Yes, I did," I answered. "I think that escaping is better than staying here any day."  
"Well, I would like to know how exactly you plan to go about getting out of here."  
"I thought maybe Draco could help us again, like he did last year. I'm certain he wouldn't mind getting us out of the house, but once outside the walls, I don't know. He mentioned mazes and traps, which I'm not good at getting out of. I can hardly get through the greenhouses without ending up completely backwards."  
"Draco? Draco would help you? Why?"  
I nodded, "He didn't like me being brought here in the first place. And, Draco...well, you know. He loves me. "  
"Does he?"  
"It would certainly seem so, from the way he's been acting. After betraying me, of course. That pissed me off, but he's acting more like himself now. But he really didn't like betraying me to Voldemort."  
"Did he not?" Harry wondered vaguely. "I wonder why. I mean, after all, he is the one who sold you to Lord Voldemort two times; he is the one who told his father where to find you; and yet, you think he would help you escape? That sounds improbable."  
"Well, I'm not mad at him about that anymore. I was, but I figure that at least now I know more about the Dark Lord's past. Odd, though. I think Tom Riddle looks like you, Harry."  
"Excuse me?" he asked. "I do not look like him."  
"I was just saying what I had noticed," I apologised. "It's just, you have the same hair, almost the same colour eyes, and the same build, but I didn't mean to offend you, or anything. But, back to escaping; how do you propose we escape?"  
"I think we should wait," he said. "After all, we hardly know where the front door is, much less how to get out of it once we find it. If we find it."  
I shrugged. "It's really up to you. I can stay here, I think. Draco'll look out for me as long as I'm here, but whether or not we leave soon depends on what you choose."  
"All right, then--" he stopped speaking as the door opened and Lord Voldemort stepped in.  
"Up," Voldemort commanded Harry, who stood and let Voldemort have his chair. I frowned, thinking about the curiousness of the situation. "So what did you learn from her?"  
"Apparently, Malfoy has been helping her," Harry said, playing with the silver bracelet at his wrist. My eyes fixed on the bracelet, and I knew that I had missed something important.  
"Which Malfoy?"  
"The youngest one," Harry answered, shooting a sideways glance at me and smirking.  
"Well, I shall speak to his father about it. And, Miss Stevens, what did you learn?"  
I shook my head, completely mute. Had I missed a memo?  
"What's going on? I don't understand. Harry, why're you telling him all that? I thought you were--helping me. What did I miss?"  
I looked to Harry, who smiled at me, his hair neat, and his scar gone.  
"Harry, you--" but then I realised it. Harry, Tom, the bracelet. Tom was Harry. Harry was Tom. Harry hadn't ever been here. It had been Tom. He had used a potion, surely. "Riddle," I hissed. "You lied to me! I thought you were Harry! I told you all of that only because I thought..."  
"Which was intended," Tom replied. Because now, it was Tom standing behind the Dark Lord's chair. "In fact, I even kept my wristband on, just so you might figure it out. But apparently I was mistaken about your cleverness. What a pity. It might have occurred to you if you had paid attention in Potions class, where you might have learned about the Polyjuice Potion. But, such is life."  
"I remember now," I murmured. "When you grabbed my wrists, your bracelet was digging into my skin. I didn't recognise it until now." I hit my forehead with the heel of my hand and muttered, "Stupid, stupid, stupid! And I won the award for being observant in my first year...what a load of crap."  
"So, now that her self-chastising is finished," Tom said, smirking, "I suggest we take all that we have learned, and torture the Malfoy boy until he pleads for death."  
Voldemort rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and rested his chin on his palm, observing my reaction to Tom's threat. I kept my face impassive; I refused to show them how much it would pain me if they hurt Draco. Tom came to stand behind me, twirling a few strands of my hair between his fingers.  
"You know, I think torturing you would be just as enjoyable," Tom hissed in my ear.  
"Shut up, you foul-mouthed, serpentine sorry excuse for a human being," I snapped back. "Or I'll cut out your tongue and serve it to Voldemort on a silver platter."  
Tom chuckled quietly, his laugh low and menacing. "I am absolutely dying to see you try it."  
"If you gave me a knife, then you would be dying...of pain. And blood loss. Oh, and your heart stopping might be an itsy bit of a problem too." He laughed again, pulling hard on my hair. I slapped his hand and looked back to Voldemort. "So, Voldie, if you intend to harm any of the Malfoys, I suggest that you go for the four sensitive areas of the body. You know, hit them where it hurts most."  
"I shall keep that in mind," the Dark Lord commented lazily. He twirled his gnarled wand in his fingers, and was absentmindedly tapping his foot. "So where is Harry Potter, really?" he asked. There was silence as I waited for Tom to answer him.  
"Miss Stevens, Lord Voldemort asked you a question," Tom snarled, showing his teeth in a wolf-like manner.  
"What, me? Oh, I thought you were talking to him. What do you mean 'where is he'? I have no idea. I thought he was at Hogwarts. He should be at Hogwarts. Did you check?"  
"Of course we checked," Voldemort snapped irritably. "He was gone. The only thing we found was a charm bracelet with a few charms on it. It was as if he knew..."  
"Charm bracelet..." I murmured. Harry had given me a charm bracelet or my fifteenth birthday. I gave it back to him once we broke up, but it had been of very little importance when I gave it back. Harry had expected it, so there was nothing odd about returning it to him. "What did it look like?" I questioned suddenly.  
"Silver, a heart, a book, a wand, an owl, and a broomstick," Tom answered.  
Yes, it was most definitely the same bracelet.  
"What did you do with it? With the bracelet."  
Tom held out his arm, and I saw the little charms dangling from the band at his wrist. The bracelet was effeminate, but I was almost certain Tom knew it belonged to someone close to Harry, thus his desire to keep it close to him. I was surprised Tom hadn't handcuffed me to his wrist yet; with the way he close-guarded everything concerning Harry.  
"Miss Stevens, do you know where Mister Potter might have gone?"  
I shrugged, keeping my face placid while my brain was whirring a hundred miles a minute. "He could be anywhere. I mean, he's probably in Europe somewhere. Can't you track...him?" I suddenly thought of the perfect thing to do.  
Voldemort's voice sounded as if I was hearing it through water as I concentrated on stretching a tendril of power out to the Wood. I was Keeper of the Wood. I had Power with a capitol P.  
Melagh, it is the Keeper. Find Harry Potter for me, if you will. It is most important.  
Keeper, we were beginning to think we had lost you. I will track him, but my power is weak. We are dying here.  
Dying? Why?  
The Coming. Her voice faded, and it was a moment before her comforting presence re-entered my mind. He is--he is searching. He is being led. To where he is being led and by whom I do not know. His aura is bloody. Beware.   
Bloody aura?  
Yes.  
What does that mean?  
He has blood on his hands. There has been a killing.  
Thank you, Melagh. Take care of yourself. Tell the others to have strength, and faith.   
Yes, Keeper.  
I opened my eyes to find myself staring up into a pair of red eyes. Voldemort's face hovered above mine, and I struck out, hitting him squarely in the jaw. The Dark Lord cursed and stood up.  
"Well, she is alive. What an extreme pity," Tom's voice said. I scowled and pulled myself up onto the chair, which I seemed to have fallen out of. Had it all been a dream? No, it had not, and I knew it.  
"Go fetch Drema," Voldemort commanded Tom. "Tell Drema to take our guest to the bedroom of Draco Malfoy. She should be quiet a surprise for him." Tom nodded and left the room, chuckling quietly. "Now, Miss Stevens, I think it is time for a nap." He pointed his wand at me and whispered, "Stupefy."  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
"Harry!" I called frantically. I was running, running through an endless mist, and I could not find Harry and oh, God, I was dead. Where was Harry? Harry had to be here. He was here. I knew he was here. I had seen him. I knew I had seen him.  
"Nicole!" Harry's voice rang through the fog, slicing the clouds and revealing a large chasm. "Nicole come here. Come to me. I want you. I need you. Please come."  
"Harry, I can't! There is not a bridge! Oh, God, there has to be a bridge somewhere. Harry, where is the bridge? How did you get across?!"  
"I have always been on this side of the bridge. Come across. You can come." "But there is no way I can!"   
"Of course there is a way," Draco's voice said from beside Harry. He appeared by Harry's side from out of the mist. "There are many ways. You just have to think! Nicole, think. Think hard. There is a way. Why won't you think?"  
"I am thinking and I can't see how to get across! Help me! Tell me how!"  
"Imagine!" they both shouted from across the gorge.  
A single tear fell from my eye, but I wiped it away and stepped to the cliff's edge. I looked down and saw an endless pit. I closed my eyes and put one foot into the air over the edge. The air...it was solid. I took one step, then another. A voice hissed in my ears, "You won't make it. This is stupid. You can't win. You will fall. You are going to fall into that endless abyss."  
"Liar," I replied vehemently, keeping my eyes closed and imagining a solid paved road beneath my feet. The road was hot, the sun was beating down on the tar, and on my head.   
"You are dead. You are dying. You are falling. Come on, believe it, you are falling into that void. And death, what a lovely experience that will be; falling into a bottomless pit, never to hit the ground, only falling, falling down and down, until you die of starvation and dehydration. I cannot wait for the grand finale! What an experience dying must be... "  
"Shut up." I continued walking on. "I am nearly there," I comforted myself. "I am nearly there. One step more. Just one more. And one more. Look how easy this is! I can do this. This is no problem. I can make it. I can. I can. I can make it, and I will."  
A loud crash woke me from my dream. I sat bolt upright in bed, and looked at the bright light flooding from the open door into the room. Silhouetted in the doorway was the missing hero. Harry Potter had arrived at last.  
"Harry!" I exclaimed, hopping from the bed. He saw me and came forward, wiping his hands on the khakis he was wearing. "Harry? Harry, is it really you?"  
"Yes, Nicole. It's me," he breathed softly. A soft cry escaped me, and I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck. Harry wrapped his arms around my waist in a tight embrace, and kissed my cheek. I leant my head on his shoulder and waited for Harry to say something.  
"Have you gotten shorter, or am I getting taller?" he joked in a whisper.  
"I'm pretty sure I'm my normal height...Harry where've you been? I've been waiting--I have so much to tell you."  
"I know...Believe me, I was trying to find you. I have things to tell you too."  
"Come, Harry. Sit." I took his hand and pulled him over to the bed. He sat wearily, as I found a match to light the lamp on the nightstand. As my hand swept blindly over the table's surface, my fingers contacted something long and cold, with a sharp edge. I lit the lamp and saw that it was the sword. The Sword of Light. And, beside it, were two things. A scrap of parchment, and a wand. I picked up the paper and read:  
Dear Nicole,  
I thought that these might come in useful when you try to escape. Go out through the front door, because no one is guarding it. When you get outside, go straight on the path and don't turn aside. There is a maze, which you will have to get through, but if you keep turning left, you will find the way out. After the maze, there is a courtyard. It is full of flowers, but do not pick any of them, and do not stop to smell them. They'd make you pass out for a day or more. There are also creatures in the courtyard. They will probably look like bunny rabbits, but, believe me, they are not cute. Do not pet them. Ignore them entirely.  
Be very careful when you go through the courtyard and maze. Stay on the path and be sure to remember disarming spells. Don't play with any of the cute bunny rabbits. They are not as cute when you see their true form.  
All my love,  
Draco  
P.S. Somnus may be realising that his wand's gone any moment now. Hide it if you see him.  
I laughed. It would figure that Draco would steal Somnus's wand.  
"What's so funny?" Harry asked, smiling.  
I handed him the paper; "Read it." His lips formed the words on the page, and once he had finished reading, he chuckled.  
"Sounds like something he'd do, doesn't it? Stealing just to help you. Maybe he's not as cold-blooded as I thought. Then again, maybe he is," Harry said. I shrugged and sat beside Harry. The pieces of glass in the frames of his glasses were fractured, and I wondered how difficult it was to see out of them.  
"Your glasses, Harry...they're broken."  
"I noticed." He removed them, and pointed his wand at them. "Occulus reparo." The glass became whole, and he put them on again.  
"So, I wanted to tell you that I spoke with Voldemort, and he told me about his past. No wonder he's so screwed up. But, besides that, I learnt about Tom Riddle, and all of those things. Tom has the charm bracelet you gave me for my birthday last year. He's wearing it. And--"  
"I know. Nicole, look, I put a tracking charm on that bracelet. Lucius and Draco visited me on the night you were taken, and they told me what was happening. I came here to get you. Lucius gave me a map of Malfoy Manor, and I know how to get out. It's going to be tricky, but I can manage it, I think. The key thing to remember is that we only have a few hours to get out of here, before they notice we've gone. Lucius knows I'm here, and he'll try to keep it secret that you've gotten out. We'll have to go to a Muggle town, or something, to get a car. I'm sixteen, but I can probably pass for a seventeen year old. I hope."  
"But you don't know how to drive," I said.  
"I've driven--okay, I'm lying. I don't know how to drive, but I can wing it. How difficult can it be?"  
"You'd be really surprised. I can drive, sort of, and I think I'd better drive. But, you can tell me how to get back to Hogwarts. So, should we go now?"  
"Yeah, I think so. Is there anything you need?"  
"Some clothes. I think I'm going to steal some of Draco's clothes. Just wait here."  
"Well where would I go?"  
"Shut up." I walked over to the large wardrobe and opened the doors. There were lots of clothes, but nothing that looked as if it might fit me. However, I grabbed a white shirt that look to be part of the school uniform, and a pair of baggy, black slacks.  
"Turn around, Harry."  
"Oh, you don't mind me watching, then?"  
"No, I mean turn around so that you're not facing me."  
"All right, but there's a full-length mirror here, and I'd still be able to see you."  
"Then cover your eyes." I changed as quickly as I could, before tossing the dress onto Draco's bed and getting a jacket from the wardrobe.  
I retrieved Somnus's wand and the sword from the bedside table, and pulled Harry's hand from his eyes. "Come on," I said.  
"Right." 


	24. Chapter 24

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (24)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Tom Harry Sword  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA  
Summary: Nicole has problems.  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   
Author notes: Thanks to Tril, the Mods, and all my friends!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Twenty-Four: Killer Bunnies and a Riddle  
The oddest things were happening in the Malfoy home. Firstly, Draco was yelling at Somnus, and Somnus was yelling back, causing quite a ruckus and delaying the discovery of our escape. Second, Lucius Malfoy was finally telling Voldemort that Lucius thought him to be 'queer and unnatural' and Voldemort was screaming at Lucius to shut up his relatives, who were in the next room yelling their heads off at one another--Voldemort could not hear Lucius over the noise, which was lucky for him. And, lastly, Harry Potter and I were escaping, and only three people knew about it--Lucius, who had told Draco to go yell at his cousin, Draco, who had called Somnus a prick, and Somnus, who knew it merely because he had seen us sneak by the door, and thus had continued hollering at Draco. Tom Riddle was presumably sleeping off the after-effects of the Polyjuice Potion.  
Harry had resumed his place as the leader, so I was just following him wherever he happened to go. Currently, we were heading down a hall that was dark and dank. It seemed to be a secret passageway that had been there for ages, but only Lucius and Draco knew about it. Harry held my hand and led me, because he had the map and knew how to read it. I was utterly in the dark about where I was being taken, but I trusted Harry, and I knew he would not intentionally lead me astray. However, it worried me that I did not know exactly where Tom Riddle was. He was a nasty enemy, and having him roaming the halls, where we might be, was not something I desired hanging over my head.  
"...and if I take a left turn here, and go right at the next passage, then..." Harry began muttering to himself, cursing the darkness that prevented him from seeing well.  
We continued on for a while longer, before we stopped at a pair of doors. The doors and ceiling were so far skyward that it was indeterminable how high the ceiling was. Harry stepped boldly forward, the moonlight streaming in through a high window illuminating his face in a sad blue light and throwing shadows under his eyes. His expression was one of grim determination, what could even be described as ferocity. In the light, Harry looked old and strong. Radiating from him was a sense of power so indubitable that his very being seemed to reek of it. It was around him, inside of him, throughout him.  
Then he spoke. His voice was loud and clear, sharp as a knife: "Open."  
And the doors creaked heavily open, slowly, so that the moonlight was only a small sliver on the stone at first, before becoming wider and wider. Then, Harry turned to me, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He took my hand in his, pulling me gently through the doors and out into the warm night air. The doors closed slowly behind us, and the acrid scent of Dark Magic vanished into the night sky.  
I turned my face heavenward, and the round face of the moon smiled down at me, her creamy light shining in my eyes. The stars winked at me from the black curtain of the sky, and I inhaled the smells of the night.  
Harry's voice brought me gently back to earth. "Nicole, come on. We need to go."  
"Yeah," I lowered my eyes, looking into Harry's. His eyes were especially green, his hair darker back than usual. "Let's get out of here."  
He nodded and we both laughed softly. We were outside. We were going back to Hogwarts at last.  
Our carefree mood did not last long, however. We were soon confronted with the awful realization that there was very little chance of our escaping before daybreak, which Harry said was 'not too far away'. But he would say no more, no matter how hard I tried to convince him to tell me. I soon became fed up with Harry's secretive manner.  
"Harry, what is going on? Why won't you tell me what time it is?"  
I stopped in front of a statuette of an irritable-looking dragon. Harry paused in the middle of the path, turning around to face me.  
"Well, you see--Nicole, look out!" he said suddenly.  
"What--why?"  
"Move!" Harry grabbed me and yanked on my arm so hard that we both toppled to the ground. A blast of heat singed some stray hairs from Harry's head, and I say a jet of fire pass over us as we lay on the ground. As soon as the fire had hit the tall shrubs on either side of the path--burning a hole through that particular bush and leaving only a bit of smoke--Harry pulled me to my feet and we both hurried away from the source of the fire.  
"Thanks," I said breathlessly. "What was it?"  
"Dragon statue," Harry returned, panting from the effort of sprinting a hundred yards in ten seconds. "Breathes fire. Lucius--told me...about things like...that."  
"Right. Are there any more, do you think?"  
"Of course there are more, but we'll avoid them." I nodded, and we continued walking. The other obstacles were far and few between, but I sensed Harry had saved me the worry of knowing about others, just keeping me away from anything dangerous.  
It seemed like forever, when we came to a courtyard. There were cute, pink rabbits hopping around, pink flowers growing up the sides of the shrubs. The flora smelled deliciously sweet and fragrant. I stretched out a hand to pick a particularly beautiful blossom with white-tipped petals, but Harry tapped me on the shoulder, saying, "Remember what Draco said." I nodded, shoving my hands into the pockets of Draco's overlarge and baggy trousers, which I was wearing.  
"Aren't the bunnies cute?" I asked in a sugary voice. "I think this one's name is Fluffy," I cooed. "And aren't you a pretty bunny rabbit?" I bent down slightly and reached to pet it.  
"Nicole, don't pet the bunnies," Harry hissed.  
"But they're so cute, and I'm sure they're harmless..."   
"Trust me. You just named it 'Fluffy'."  
"Fluffy is a cute name," I said. "Besides, I had a bunny rabbit once. It' name was Fluffy, too. But then Fluffy the First got killed by an owl. Verita never liked Fluffy much..." I started to reach down to pet it again.  
Harry seized my hand and pulled me away from the rabbit. "Nicole, Fluffy is what Hagrid named his three-headed pet dog. And he looked exactly the same when he said its name. And, Draco said they were not really cute."   
"But that's Draco; Draco hates rabbits. He hates anything cute."  
"He even told you not to pet them. Look, right there!" He extracted the note from Draco out of his pocket and shoved it right under my nose. I read the words they are not as cute when you see their true form.  
"All right, Harry. You win. Now, which way is out?"  
"I think it's--" he paused, checking the map. "It's that way." He gestured at the shrubs on the far side of the courtyard. "Or maybe it's that way." He pointed behind him.  
"Or, maybe we're lost. Ever thought of that?" I snapped.  
"Yes, actually. No, no, it's this way." He nodded toward the shrubs at the other side of the yard again. I shrugged as if I didn't care, and we began to step around the bunnies, making our way slowly to the way out. But the bunnies seemed to multiply, so that it became harder and harder not to step on them. Harry took my hand and we made a quick scramble towards the path out. The bunnies hopped after us, multiplying even more. Now there were two hundred bunnies, all hindering our progress.  
Harry stopped, turned around and whipped out his wand. "Avertas Dissapearus!" he shouted, and the bunny population lessened somewhat.  
I followed Harry's lead, taking out Somnus' wand and directing it into the sea of bunnies. "A-avetas sassairus!" the words became scrambled, and before I knew what was happening, the bunnies had disappeared, and in their place were snakes. "Harry! Do something!"  
"Hysatha...hysatha sassa...hissa," he hissed. The snakes stopped, confused. Then, Harry said, "Hyathassi." And the snakes disappeared in a cloud of smoke.  
"What did you do?" I asked in awe.  
"Told them to disappear. Now come on, there could be more still lurking in the bushes." He took my hand, and we made a mad dash out of the Bunny courtyard.  
We continued walking until I felt that I could not walk anymore. Harry supported me when I stumbled, but I sensed a growing sense of worry building inside of him, and he was beginning to react slower.  
It was after a few hours of constant walking that I finally called for rest.  
"We can't rest," Harry argued. "We have to get out of here now."  
"I'm tired," I whined. "And I'm thirsty."  
"And you think I'm not? I know you're thirsty, but the sooner we get out, the sooner you can have water." He pulled me up, and I fell against him. He caught me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I could almost hear him thinking how odd it was that our bodies fit together so well.  
"I forgot how good this feels," he whispered. I delicately pulled myself out of his grasp, pushing him away.  
"Sorry Harry, but I can't lead you on again. Just--remember. We're not dating anymore."  
He lowered his eyes ashamedly. "It's my fault," he apologised quickly. "Let's go."  
"Yeah."  
I tried to ignore the ache inside my heart at tuning him away, but every time I shoved it back, it only grew stronger. I wondered if Harry felt the same--as if being so close but not together was painfully wrong and corrupted; did he also feel as if his heart was being dismembered? I thought of saying something to break the awkward silence that had settled over us, but before I could say anything, Harry spoke.  
"Did you ever know--I mean, did I ever tell you--that I wasn't ever thinking of Ginny?" I felt him glance at me, but I did not answer or return his look. "Did I ever say--I was always thinking about you?"  
"Thinking? Thinking about me when?" My voice had taken on a pitch fives times higher and more cheerful than usual.  
"When Ginny and I--you know--fooled around, I couldn't stop thinking about you."  
I frowned as we walked, but when Harry looked at me again, I hid it. "Funny joke, Harry," I said in that odd-pitched voice that sounded cold even to me.  
"I wasn't joking."  
"Of course you were," I laughed a pseudo-laugh and smiled brightly at the ground. "You've always been funny."  
"It was always you, never her. I wanted--want--you. She was just--just a mistake."  
"Wow, you certainly love to draw out jokes," I laughed my fake laugh again, grinning at the mist-covered soil as we walked. "You can stop kidding me, now."  
Harry stopped and grabbed my shoulders, pressing me against the nearest wall of bushes. His mouth came down hard on mine, his eyes half-open as he searched for a reaction. My eyes closed out of habit--his hands slid slowly down my shoulders, to my forearms, to my wrists. His hands travelled to my hips, and he applied slight pressure as his hands began moving up my shirt, though he went no higher than my waist. Harry's lips were bruising mine, his tongue roaming throughout my mouth, before Harry pulled out of the kiss to caress my lips with his tongue. He planted quick soft kisses around my mouth, biting my lip gently, before returning to my lips and becoming ferocious and bruising once again. I struggled not to react, but the yearning passion exhibited by Harry and the uncontrollable desire was becoming harder for me to ignore.  
It was when Harry pulled away from another gulp of air that I decided to stop it. I pushed Harry's chest, and he was so high on adrenaline that the little shove sent him reeling, and he careened into the opposite bush, which was think and tough, a wall. He pulled himself into a standing position, taking deep breaths and wiping his mouth. I drew the back of my hand across my lips, finding blood streaked across the pale skin on my hand, as well as saliva.  
"What were you thinking?" I snapped at Harry, whose intensely green eyes were staring at me, filled with a kind of hungry yet satisfied passion. "I told you--I told you to remember. I said to remember that we are not together anymore. Get that in your mind."  
"You could have stopped me before I even began," he said. "Admit it. You wanted that just as badly as I did."  
"I did not!" I lied.  
"You did too," he said, coming closer to me. "I could feel it. You wanted me to kiss you, and you wanted to kiss me back. You wanted to, but why didn't you? Because of Malfoy, maybe--but it wasn't because of him, was it?--no, you didn't kiss me, because you don't want to admit that you made a mistake and that I am the one you want. You wanted me to kiss you; we both knew it. I could tell--everything you said was only a defence--" he stepped closer to me, "--a defence against the fact that you love me and you know I love you. What are you afraid of? Me? No, that's not it. You're afraid of commitment--aren't you?--no, you're afraid of love. You want someone who'll be there when you need him and gone when you want to be alone, but you don't want love. You reject it as a failure--you said you loved Draco, right? Well, why did you never sleep with him? Because you knew you didn't love him. You wanted me." He pressed closer, and we were almost touching. "You see how close you let me get? But as soon as I make a definite move," he touched my cheek softly, "you run away." I slapped his hand, and he took a step back. "There you are; you don't like it that you love me."  
"Shut up!" I yelled. "So what if I love you?" I covered my mouth as I realised what I had just said.  
Harry stepped closer to me again. "You admit it."  
"I don't."  
"Do you know what it's like, to be told you can't have to one thing you want most in the world!? It feels like someone is driving a knife through my heart every second I'm awake. The only time I can feel normal is when I sleep, because at least in my dreams you don't keep rejecting me. At least in my dreams, you don't ignore me when I kiss you or look at you. At least in my dreams, you still notice I'm alive."  
I looked up into his face, feeling like I was about to cry. "I know."  
"But you don't care."  
"Harry...Harry, you don't understand. I do love you--I love you like a best friend, a brother, even, but, it's just..."  
"You know you're lying," he whispered. "You love me as something more."  
I nodded, unable to do anything else.  
"I love you, and I will always love you. All I'm asking for is one more chance. If I screw it up..."  
"I can't."  
"You have to. I don't think I can last without you...I need you. I want you so badly that it hurts. It hurts me worse that the Cruciatus Curse. If you don't give me this chance, then I don't know what I'll do."  
"But Draco--"  
"I'll explain it to him. He'll understand. Just--just promise me I'll have a chance with you."  
"I--I'll give you one chance, but I don't know if I..."  
"Please. Just try to love me." His eyes were pleading.  
"All right."  
Harry continued leading, but there was an odd feeling passing between us. I felt like the Hoover Dam of emotions had broken inside of me, releasing all of my pent up feelings. There was no telling how Harry felt, but I knew something had to have triggered his reaction. Maybe he thought--we might not get out. But, no, surely he would have said if we were lost.  
My lips were definitely bruised; I knew Harry was embarrassed about that. But, what really mattered now was what I would do when Draco found out. I prayed that, by some miracle, something would happen and everything would turn out all right and as it was supposed to. However, fairy tale endings did not happen to be easy to achieve--at least, not without a couple of magic fairies, lots of wishing wells, and a prince with a flair for sweeping girls off their feet. The fairy tale of my life had none of these things. However, I pledged to cope with the fairy tale alterations that I did have. I had a villain, a hero, and me. Hey, all I needed was to be a horrible actress, get breast implants, and it'd be a noontime soap opera. Wow, what a life to live.  
Harry paused, flinging out his arm to stop me from going ahead. His abrupt stop caused me to run into him, but I grabbed onto his outstretched arm to steady myself. He pulled me up and pointed at the stone archway some feet in front of us. Ivy had snaked around the ancient, cracked granite, and past the arch was something I had least expected. It was...a Feoxi.  
"Harry, why'd you stop?" I asked tentatively.  
"That Feoxi, it--it might be dangerous."  
"It's probably not though," I shrugged his concern off casually. "Come on."  
I went ahead, stepping through the archway and beckoning Harry forward. The Feoxi turned an eye to me, but I saw that the normally black eyes were milky white; it was blind.  
"Speak now, stranger," it said in a raspy voice. "Or, wait and I shall have your head."  
I coughed awkwardly. "Feoxi, it is I, Nikole Malfoy," I lied. "Allow us to pass unharmed."  
"Nikole Malfoy...certainly it is impossible," I heard the Feoxi sniffing. "You lie, intruder."  
"I am Nicole. I am--a friend. I wish only to pass."  
"Answer my riddle, and we shall see."  
"Very well then," I answered. Harry came to stand by my side. He was warning me without speaking that this was a dangerous game. To lose was to die.  
"Blood is spilt because of me,  
Daggers are drawn because of me.  
But nothing can damage me,  
And nothing can hinder me.  
Blood and Daggers,  
I am an obsession,  
Deeds and Bones,  
I am a possession,  
Now it is you,  
To whom my secret must be known.  
What am I?"  
I mouthed wordlessly. Nothing can stop it. What is it? Come on, think.  
"Repeat the riddle."  
The Feoxi obliged, and my request caused a toothy grin to appear at the dragon's lips.  
It is unstoppable. Voldemort--is unstoppable, one would think. But, what does he have? Dark Magic--no. A wand--all wizards have a wand, and wands can be broken. Pride--maybe. But, he doesn't seem altogether proud. But, he has power. He wants it more than anything else--an obsession. He possesses power--a possession. Power can't be hurt, but pride can. Power.  
"You are power," I answered, my voice unfaltering.  
"You are--" she began, as the bile rose in my throat.  
"Correct."  
The nausea passed, and I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding in.  
"You may pass."  
Harry took my hand, and we ran out of the little courtyard through another archway.  
And then, we saw it. 


	25. Chapter 25

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (25)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Tom Harry Sword  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA  
Summary: Nicole has problems.  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   
Author notes: Thanks to Tril, the Mods, and all my friends!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Twenty-Five: My Angel  
And then, we saw it.  
A jet of brilliant green light blasted the ground in front of us. Harry pulled me to him, shielding me from the fiery light that had just burnt a deep hole in the ground.  
"Escaping?" a silky voice asked from the other side of the courtyard. I yanked myself out of Harry's grip, spinning around to face the antagonist. Riddle stood at the large metal gates, which were our only way out. He had a wand pointing lazily at me, but it seemed as if he couldn't decide what to do to me. I hoped his aim was horrible, because even from ten metres away, he could still kill me with a flick of his wrist.  
Harry pushed me aside, and I fell against the large wall of bushes enclosing the square garden.  
"Leave her alone," Harry said, his voice deep with rage and inner turmoil. "She never did anything to you." His voice lowered threateningly. "And if you hurt her, if you even lay a finger on her, I will kill you with my bare hands."  
"If I hurt her too much, I will kill myself," Tom informed Harry. "I am feeding off of her." Harry glared at him, daring him to prove it. "Come here, girl," Tom beckoned me to him.  
I started forward, but Harry shook his head and pulled me back.  
Tom looked politely curious, "I thought you wanted proof."  
"I do," Harry spat.  
"Then let her come to me, and I will show you."  
"How do I know you aren't lying?" Harry returned accusingly.  
"You don't," was all Riddle replied.  
"Harry, let me go. You heard him, he can't hurt me or he'll die."  
Harry glanced at me, closed his eyes resolutely, and nodded once. I walked over to Tom, and he smiled his snake smile at me. As I neared, he came forward and locked his fingers around my wrist, pulling me close to his body, so that I was facing Harry with my back pressed against Tom's chest. Tom slid his hands over my shoulders and to my chest, beginning to unbutton the ill-fitting shirt I had stolen from Draco's wardrobe at the manor. Only a few buttons down, and the shirt began sliding off my shoulders. Tom stopped and whispered, "Cold?" in my ear. I scowled, but Tom had continued speaking to Harry.  
"Can you see her skin?" Tom asked, scraping his fingers along my delicate clavicles--I had lost a lot of weight since the Coming had begun, and my collarbones had become more prominent and defined.  
"Yes," Harry answered darkly, still glowering furiously at Tom.  
"And do you see these marks?" Riddle asked drawing his fingertips lightly down my chest, stopping where the button still held fast through the buttonhole.  
"What marks?" Harry questioned suspiciously.  
"These," Tom snapped his fingers, and my skin began to glow with a dull white light. I looked down, and was astonished to see pale scratches forming a thin web over the centre of my chest, above my heart, and then the light emanating from my skin dimmed, but the scrapes remained. "I," he told Harry in a hiss, his breath stirring my hair, "made these a couple of months ago, when I met this inquisitive and fascinating young woman. I brought her to me, and then performed a power-transferring spell on her. It is what some would call the Coming. I am the Coming. These were hidden because I wanted them to be." He laughed cruelly. "It is only a matter of time before you die," he informed me quietly. "I'll stay here and watch you as you say your goodbyes. Well, maybe you'll see each other again soon. After all, you're both going to die." He gave me a shove that sent me reeling toward Harry. I stumbled into Harry's arms, my shirt slipping down farther over my arms. He caught me, and picked me up in his arms, before finding the effort too exhausting and slumping against the shrubs; he sank to his knees.  
"Nicole, listen. I'm really tired. I don't think I can make it. I need sleep." Tom laughed as he heard what Harry was saying. "Can you sit?" I pulled myself out of his arms, sitting by his side. "Good." Harry lifted my chin, and kissed me softly.  
"Harry--" I whispered, but he put a finger to my lips.  
"Shush. You need to act like you're going to faint. If he thinks we're both weak, he won't think we could escape. I'm tired, yes, but I'm not that tired. I'm going to kiss you again, now, and then...I'll tell you what we'll do next." He kissed me again, pulling me closer to him and rubbing my cheek with his thumb. His lips were soft and gentle, but I could tell he was really serious about the kiss, and that this part wasn't play-acting. He pulled away, his green eyes shining from behind his glasses.  
"Now, I want you to cry like you'll never see me again." I frowned, not at what he said, but at what he didn't say--it was likely we really would never see each other again after this night. Tears came to my eyes--I wasn't acting now.  
"Harry, I love you so much," I whispered, my hidden sobs echoing in every syllable I spoke. "I want you to know that--that I'll never forget. I'm sorry for everything I've done, and I forgive you for everything you've done."  
Harry nodded, his eyes sombre. "I love you too. I always have. I knew, ever since the day I ran into you at Diagon Alley that you were the one I'd always love. There are things I have never gotten the chance to say, and I probably will never get to say all of them, but--this summer, when I stayed with you, I watched you while you slept. The moonlight was falling in shafts onto your bed, and your face was wreathed in shadow. You reminded me of an angel--I wanted that to be what I saw every night for the rest of my life. Even if your face grew old, and your body weary, I could still love you--and would still love you--because you are my angel. My angel, my love, my everything--Nicole, I love you. If we both die tonight, then at least I have said that. I could say so much more, but it would take decades. But, I want you to know that I--that I forgive you for anything and everything, and that I wish I could replace all of those bad memories with good ones, but I can't. And, if you live through the night and I don't, then I want you to know that tomorrow always comes, and when everything seems to be looking the worst, know that I'll always be there by your side, and that it can only get better from there. I will love you--in saecula saeculorum."  
Tears spilled onto my cheeks, and I saw Harry's eyes become wet. "Harry--" my voice broke, and I began crying. Harry hugged me to him, and I buried my face in the soft, good-smelling fabric of Harry's shirt. My salty tears streaked Harry's shirt with water, but neither of us cared. "Harry," I said, my voice muffled through his shirt. "Harry. I love you. I love you like the rose loves the sun--like the lips love the kiss. Harry, I just want you to know, I will always love you." I looked up into his eyes, and our lips touched softly. Harry planted tender kisses on my forehead, cheeks, and neck.  
"Back to getting out of here," he whispered finally. "I'll hold him off, and you'll run for it."  
"Harry, no--" I pleaded softly. "No--don't make me leave you."  
"Yes," he said in a heart-wrenching voice that made my heart ache. "Yes, you have to go without me. I can stay here and get rid of Riddle."  
"But I love you--I can't leave you here. Not by yourself--"  
"Yes."  
"B-but I--"  
"Go."  
I finally relented to leave, but I had to give Harry something--he needed protection. "Take the Sword, Harry. It's Dumbledore's; he would want you to have it." I handed him the sword. He took it by the hilt, giving me a falsely tired glance. "I love you and I know you can win."  
"And I love you."  
I stood, leaving Harry's side and walking back to Tom. Tom smirked at me. "Such sweet sentiments. Ready to see your precious hero die?"  
"You are utter slime."  
"I should take that as a compliment." He extended his wand, directing it at Harry. "Come on, Potter. Stand up and fight me--like a man." Harry stood in mock exhaustion.  
"Riddle," Harry panted. "I want you to know--I hate you." Harry whipped out his wand, but Riddle was faster. As Tom shouted at spell, Harry shouted at me to leave. I burst through the gate, running down the pathway at an incredible speed.  
The road was gravely, but it was a Muggle road. I tripped and fell, but forced myself to get up and go on. As I ran, tears flowed freely down my cheeks, for what I had lost.  
I knew I was leaving a part of my heart back at Malfoy Manor.  
It was about fifteen minutes later when I came to a Muggle Petrol station and fountain shop. I stopped outside the door, buttoned my shirt up to cover the nasty spidery cuts, and the opened the door of the fountain shop. It was not very busy, and the clock on the wall said that it was only six o' clock in the morning. The clerk took one look at me, before tossing her curly hair back and blowing a large pink bubble of her bubble-gum.  
"Hey," she greeted. "You look an awful mess; are you okay? Do you need some help?"  
"No, I'm fine, thank you. How much is a glass of water? Wait, no, never mind. I don't have any money." I sat on one of the old bar-stools.  
"Here, you can have a cup of water; I'll just tell my boss I bought myself a drink. Do you need some help, honey? Maybe I could call someone to come get you?" The girl seemed genuinely concerned about my well-being, so I decided to make her feel better and tell her a story to keep her concern at a minimum.  
"I don't have anyone," I lied. "I'm on my own."  
"Oh. Well, what happened?"  
"I was--painting a house for a friend, and I fell down the ladder. Took an awful fall. But, I'm okay, now. Do you have a restroom?"  
She pointed to a pink door at the back, "There's the women's restroom."  
"Thanks." I stood and headed into the restroom. When I stepped inside and took a look in the mirror, I could hardly believe what I saw. My face was dirty, and where my tears had flown, pale skin showed through. My eyes were puffy from lack of sleep, and my lips were cracked, with pinkish-purple bruises. Yeah right. I fell off a ladder. Looks like I was beaten up.  
I turned one of the pink knobs, and warm water streamed from the faucet into the marble basin. I dipped my hands into the water and washed my face, gently cleaning off the grime that stained my face black. Then, I turned off the water and grabbed a few paper towels from the dispenser, drying my face. When I took another look in the mirror, I was surprised to see that I looked better already, if not more like myself. Tossing the dirty napkins into the rubbish bin, I went back out into the little drink shop.  
The clerk was still sanding there, but a glass of water had appeared on the counter in front of where I had been sitting. I sat on the stool and took a sip of the cool and refreshing ice water.  
"Thanks a lot," I said.  
"No problem. You're from America, right?"  
"Yeah."  
"Cool. So, what're you doing here?"  
"Just passing through. I've been having some problems at school, so I took a mental-health holiday, travelling around Britain. My boyfriend--" I faltered. "His name is Harry. He's waiting for me."  
"Oh?" she peered out the glass door.  
"Not here, but back at school. He wanted to come, but something got in the way."  
"All right. Well, do you want to stay here for a while longer? We have telly," she gestured at a television mounted up on the wall behind her.  
"Sure."  
She took out a remote-control, and turned on the T.V., flipping through channels.  
"Stop," I ordered as I saw a familiar picture on the screen. It was a picture of the Malfoy gateway that I had come through only a short while ago.  
"...It seems that a gas explosion is the cause of the damage. There were no reported casualties, though authorities claim to have seen something running down the path. Any information regarding these claims should be reported to this station immediately. The Ministry of Defence..."  
I sighed heavily. "Okay, keep going."  
"What is it?" the girl asked me. "It looked like you had seen something familiar for a second."  
"What? Oh, no. I just remember seeing that gate."  
"All right." She continued changing the channels, finally settling on a morning talk show.  
I became lost in my own thoughts as the T.V. interviewer droned on about the latest pop sensations. Was it possible that Harry wasn't dead after all? What if that figure the police thought they saw was Harry? He might've killed Tom... but, I felt the same. At least the thought that he might still be alive filled some of the part of me that I had left back at the manor.  
"Miss?"  
"Yeah?" I asked, snapping out of my reverie of thought.  
"What's your name?" the clerk asked.  
"My name is--Nicole."  
"My name is Lindy."  
"Nice to meet you, Lindy. I really have to go now. Could I have this water to go?"  
"Yeah, sure." She filled a foam cup full of water and handed it to me.  
"Thanks," I said. "Bye."  
"Bye."  
I started to walk out the door, but something stopped me. I turned around. "Lindy, if a boy comes in here and he has black hair, glasses, green eyes, and a lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead, could you tell him I was here? And that I'll be going to a car-rental place?"  
"Of course."  
"Where's the nearest car-rental shop?"  
"Two blocks down, take a left on Burrow Drive, and then go down to Bushel Berry."  
"Thanks."  
I walked out the door, walking with heavy steps that were only lightened a little at the thought that Harry might be alive.  
When I arrived at the car-rental--Garbin's Car Rental--I noticed a sign on the front door that said 'Opens at 7:30 A.M.' Deciding that it would be stupid to wait there, I continued up the street, looking at all of the interesting shops. This was obviously a small town; there were few cars on the streets, and the shops looked like houses. If I met too many people, word of my presence was sure to spread around the town like wildfire, meaning that many helpful--and unhelpful--people would be looking out for me. It was only when I spotted a small park that I decided to sit and rest a while, before trying Garbin's again.  
I approached a swing set in the middle of the park, where I sat on one of the swings and contemplated my fate. If I rented a car, I would need money, of which I had none. If I walked, I would become tired. If I hitchhiked, I would probably end up in London. Maybe hitchhiking was my best chance after all; I could go home and have my parents owl Dumbledore.  
A shadow fell across me, and I raised my eyes, curiously wondering what could have caused the sudden darkness.  
Standing in front of me, and looking the worse for wear was my angel, Harry.  
I stood up, tears of happiness springing into my eyes. "Harry," I sobbed. "Harry, you're here. What happened? Where's Riddle?"  
He smiled at me, saying, "He's gone. I killed him." I rushed into his arms, and Harry caught me and lifted me up, all in one fluid motion. Then, he swung me around in a circle before setting me down on the ground again and giving me a forceful kiss.  
"So--what happened after I left?" I asked, twirling a strand of his hair around my fingers.  
"My angel told me I could win, and because of that I knew I could beat him. The sword was a big help, too." He held it out to me. The blade was stained with what looked like unicorn blood. "And he disappeared. It left a gaping hole in the front lawn, but that's all right."  
"But how did you find me here?"  
"My angel left me a clue--the clerk at the fountain shop was very helpful. She seemed concerned about who you were and what had happened to you. You looked a mess, apparently."  
I blushed, but continued, "But how did you know I was here, when I told her I was going to the car-rental place?"  
"Let's just say that if I really want to find you, I know how." He gave me a mysterious grin, and I knew I would get nothing more out of him on the subject.  
"And we're both alive."  
"Yes, we are." He tossed the sword aside, pulled me against him and gave me a loving kiss. As our lips contacted, and I knew that whatever happened, Harry would be there. I was his angel, and he was mine. Harry Potter, my angel. 


	26. Chapter 26

Title: Nicole Stevens: Blood and Daggers (26)  
Author name: AquilisRose   
Author email: AquilisRose@antisocial.com mailto:AquilisRose@antisocial.com  
Category: General  
Keywords: Nicole Tom Harry Sword  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA  
Summary: The end. Hope you like!  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   
Author notes: Thanks to Tril, the Mods, and all my friends!   
Laura a.k.a Lor-Lor, you've been an absolute inspiration for me. I am forever in debt to you.  
Jarred, you're a great guy. Thanks for being there and always being my friend, even when Samantha is angry at us both. Thanks for not picking sides. I'll always thank you for it.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter Twenty-Six: Not All Angels Have Wings  
I cuddled against Harry's chest, noticing how firm his muscles had become after all those Quidditch practices. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, resting his chin on the top of my head. His heart beat is a constant thump-thump...thump-thump. It is reassuring, as well as relaxing.  
"Sleepy?" Harry whispered.  
"Yes. When're we going to get there?"  
"Hm..." he looked at his watch, "an hour or so."  
"It was really clever of you to think of calling the Knight Bus," I said, drawing my finger down his stomach. "We would've been stuck in Ashbourne if you hadn't."  
"Yeah...that was a brilliant idea, wasn't it?" he said, smiling down into my eyes.  
"Our ever-modest hero," I teased.  
"I certainly am."  
We laughed, and I snuggled closer to Harry's warmth. It was nearly lunchtime, and I had not had anything to eat in days. Harry and I were both famished, fatigued, and worried. We tried not to let it show, but we knew that it was likely we would be expelled from Hogwarts; it was an awful thought that plagued my dreams. However, we had an unspoken agreement that we would not speak of it until we knew for certain whether our fears were rational.  
"Harry, there's something that's been bothering me for a while now--"  
"I know I snore."  
"Well, yes, but that not what I wanted to say. It's just that--well, I found out that where I live is where...your parents lived. Godric's Hollow. I didn't know until after we had moved in and..."  
Harry gave me a look. "Are you serious?"  
"Yeah--I didn't know how to tell you."  
"Then that's it," Harry said suddenly, as if seeing something he'd never realised before. "That's why my scar kept hurting, and that's why when you touched me..." he faded off.  
"I never thought of that."  
"Neither had I," he replied. "That explains a lot."  
I nodded, and Harry reverted back to silently thinking about what we were going to do.  
Hours before, I had been alone in a strange Muggle town, thinking Harry was dead; it was amazing what could happen in a few hours. I was worried--Draco wouldn't be happy once he found out about Harry and me. But, Draco had sold me to Voldemort twice; a far worse offence than sleeping with Ginny Weasley. He would understand my reasons, surely. There was always that chance that he would not forgive me, though. But I would just have to deal with that obstacle when I came to it.  
For now, my best option was to sleep. My eyes became heavy, and as the Knight Bus jumped from Oxford to Bristol, I feel asleep.  
Dear Diary,  
I have started this diary because I suspect I will need to record my thoughts and emotions for the next few months. It is Christmastime at Hogwarts, and things are going as usual--well, at least by Hogwarts' standards. Harry and I are getting on really well, and we haven't fought at all. He call's me his 'wingless angel.'  
Ginny Weasley came up to me the other day while I was walking back to my dorm. She apologised profusely, and I could tell she meant it. She admitted to being possessed by Tom Riddle for the second time, and that she would never really do that to anyone. Her face went brick red when Harry came up, but she was all right as soon as he had accepted her apology.   
Ron and Hermione are dating, and neither one seems to fight the other on much. Ron has stopped being so inconsiderate, and Hermione's not nagging at him all the time, anymore. In fact, Ron now can kiss Hermione without offending her in some way. Not that he show PDA--Public Displays of Affection--but it's good enough for Hermione, since she knows he's trying.  
Harry is well, if not overly happy. He seems to be with me all the time and it has gotten around school that we're dating again. I'm sure I saw Pansy Parkinson owling Draco the other day. She seems vindictive and spiteful, because Draco's not around to stop her. I wonder if he knows--I wonder if he believes. We had so many plans; but I knew it couldn't work out in the end. Maybe it's better this way. I don't know.  
Dumbledore has not expelled us, obviously. He had a twinkle in his eyes when we told him all that had happened, and I think he could tell we were back together. I want to know how Dumbledore manages to know all of these things. Maybe he is a Seer. I am almost certain he is--I bet he is a descendant of Mortem Agdeburg. It would figure, wouldn't it?  
Snape is acting worse than normal. His holiday cheer is minimal, if he has any cheer at all. I'm worried about my Potions final, because Snape's already trying to fail me. I think he hates me. Scratch that--I know he hates me. But, Dumbledore's been making sure that Snape doesn't give out five hundred failing grades to every student here. That would be awful if he did, but I wouldn't put it past him.  
McGonagall seems to be happy to see me. She must like me, or something. I can't imagine why. It's not as if I'm her top student. Maybe she's just a nice person who doesn't want anyone to die. Maybe she knew Tom Riddle when she was a student at Hogwarts. I bet she did.   
Tom Riddle has not been seen since the morning Harry blew him up. We're all thankful for that. I still want to know what happened to him. Did he die? Did he explode? I suppose we'll never know. But there's always that lingering question; is he still out there somewhere? I'm not sure I want to know.  
Harry wants to go play outside in the fresh layer of three-foot-deep snow. He has his cloak and gloves on, and a hat. His scarf is red and gold; the colours of Gryffindor. His gloves are purple-maroon, and his hat is blue. He looks ridiculous--I wonder if he knows?--I might should tell him before we go outside. Or maybe I won't. He looks like an overgrown little kid in his mismatched clothes. It would ruin the look if he changed into all black. That's the funny thing about Harry (among other things); he looks too serious wearing black, and not like someone to go through snowball tag with; wearing different wacky colours makes him look childish, like a great big kid who likes to eat snow-cones and catch snowflakes on his tongue. It amazes me how tall he is, though; just short of six feet, I'd guess. His hair is getting long--he needs it cut, because his hair keeps falling into his eyes and he's developing this kind of twitch to get the hair out of his eyes. I'll probably cut it for him later this afternoon.  
Harry's spotted me, and now he wants me to come outside and play with him. I try to point out that I don't want to bundle up and that I already have a cold, but Harry's already urging me up out of my chair--he's herding me into the staircase that leads up to my dorm. He wants me to change and come back down so we can go throw snowballs. I love it when he's like this; so alive and energetic, ready to dive headfirst into three feet of snow, just so that he can stuff it down my shirt. Not that I like being wet and cold, but it's still funny to watch him trip through the thick snow, as I plunge ahead to get away from him. I never win. We settled that one last Christmas--he wins the snow-stuffing race, and I win a kiss. Not exactly what one would call fair, but it works well.  
I change into a baggy pair of old jeans that used to belong to Harry. He gave them to me when I said I wanted some warm trousers for the winter. I'm glad he didn't buy me any new trousers; his jeans are comfortable and smell like Harry--a comforting smell rather like fabric detergent and cologne. The cologne smell is new; Harry wanted to try something that he termed 'manly'. The smell is definitely Muggle-made. I'm sure he ordered some from a Muggle catalogue. It smells strong, yet gentle, with a mixed scent of aftershave. But, that might be aftershave and not the cologne at all. I'm not sure if Harry shaves yet. He might--I don't know.  
I also put on an undershirt, as well as a turtleneck jumper and a sweatshirt. The sweatshirt is also one of Harry's. It is dark red, with the name of some sports team on it. No doubt one of the boys in his dorm gave it to him a few years ago. Above everything else, I wear a cloak and a scarf; on my hands, a pair of soft black deerskin gloves, a gift from Harry for my belated birthday.  
I head back downstairs, and then I am greeted by Harry, who grabs my hand and pulls me out the portrait hole. We are running so fast it seems like our feet don't touch the floor. We skim lightly over the grand marble staircase leading down into the Entrance Hall, and then we skid to a halt as Harry reaches the door and opens it. Outside, the snow falls softly, and everything is quiet. Harry pulls me out the door, and we stand on the steps, admiring the Winter Wonderland that is the Hogwarts grounds. Snow comes up to the top step, and Harry leads me carefully down into the sea of white. We wade together until we reach the middle. Then, Harry turns to me, scooping up a handful of the fine white powder. He crushes it together, into a tightly-packed ball.  
"Run," he commands.  
"Why should I?" I return sarcastically.  
"Because I said to." He grins, his bright green eyes twinkling from behind his glasses. I turn, feeling as if I were being sucked into a whirlpool, because the snow is so thick it is almost impossible to walk through it. I fall, and then crawl as quickly as I can, digging a virtual tunnel of ice. Harry follows slowly after me, knowing I cannot move quickly. He waits a few seconds, before I stick my head out of the tunnel of snow. Then, he tackles me and we roll through the snow. I laugh, as we stop rolling and Harry sits on my legs to stop me escaping. He presses a finger to my lips and I stop laughing. I try to push him off me, but we know I'm not nearly that strong. He lets out a soft chuckle, his voice as deep as a man's.   
He begins to stuff one snowball up my shirt. I writhe, laughing and giggling girlishly. As he leans sideways to make another large snowball, I push him off, catching him off balance. He tumbles off, and I stand up, scooping the snowball out of my shirt.  
"Hey!" he cries, trying to grab my ankle, but I dart a step away. "Come back here, I'm not finished yet."  
I laugh loudly, "Oh yes you are."  
"I'm not." He stands up, a head taller than me. Harry waits, and I turn around, trying to dig another tunnel. But Harry doesn't want to wait any longer. He grabs me around the waist from behind me, and kisses my neck. I turned my head to the side, and he kisses my cheek. He laughs, and spins me around to face him. I look up into his eyes, and he gives me a soft kiss, before lightly pushing me into the bank of snow. I grab onto his arm, and he falls with me. We tumble into the snow.  
An hour later, we return to the common room, cold, wet, and laughing. Harry and I part, heading upstairs to our dormitories, so we can change.   
It has been an odd couple of months, but I think all of this has happened for the better. I don't know, but I think things are going to be all right. Oh well, at least I have Harry.  
When I come back downstairs, the common room is empty; everyone has gone down to the Christmas Eve dinner. Not that there were many people in the common room to begin with; Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were the only other Gryffindors who stayed at Hogwarts. I look around for Harry, but I can't see him. He's not down yet. I wonder what must be taking him so long, but I decide to wait for him.  
It turns out I don't have long to wait. Harry comes down the stairs, having donned a pair of charcoal trousers and a red shirt. His hand is clamped around something, and as he sees me, his eyes light up and he smiles. Harry hurries to meet me, and then, as I begin to speak, he says, "Wait. Watch this." He opens his hand, and doves suddenly rise from his palm. They fly once around us, before Harry snaps his fingers and they dissolve into a bunch of white feathers that come drifting down into my hair. But they aren't feathers; they're white rose petals. I gape at Harry, too stunned to speak.  
"Do you like it?" Harry asks tentatively.  
"Wow," I reply in awe. "How did you do that?"  
"A magician never reveals his secrets," Harry says furtively. "Come here, I want to show you something." He takes my hand, and leads me up the staircase leading to the boys' dormitories. He covers my eyes with his hand, and then opens the door. When Harry removes his hand, I am stunned to see a large box sitting in the middle of the room. Red and white rose petals are falling magically from the ceiling.   
"Oh Harry--"  
"Go on," he says. "Open it."  
I glance at him, to see a wide smile on his face. Then I walk forward, and begin to tear the paper off the enormous box that was about half my height. I remove the ribbon and the paper, before pulling of the lid and finding another box inside. I pulled the second box out, unwrapping it and opening the lid. Inside was yet another box. There were five boxes, and on the fifth, I pulled off the ribbon, and opened it. Inside, was a smaller box that was most definitely containing a ring of some sort. I opened the hinged lid, and inside, a silver ring glittered, a large pearl set in the band. I pulled the ring from its box, and Harry came to stay by my side.  
"Happy Christmas," Harry whispered in my ear, taking the ring from me and slipping it on my finger. I stared at the glittering pearl a moment, before turning to Harry, and wrapping my arms around his neck. He hugs me back, kissing my cheek.  
"I love it, Harry."  
"Really?" he asks.  
"Yes. It's beautiful. Where did you get it?"  
Harry answers, "It was my mother's when she was your age. Sirius sent it to me--I wanted you to have it."  
Tears welled in my eyes, and I felt my heart swell. "Thank you Harry. I love it. It's the best Christmas present ever," I said.   
"I'm glad you like it," he says. "I want you to have something else, too."  
"What?"  
"My love," he answers, drawing his finger along my cheek.  
I smile, kissing him softly on the lips. "Thank you, Harry."  
He returns my smile, and we head down to dinner. We laugh and eat, Harry and Ron talk about Quidditch, and Hermione and Ginny admire my ring. I feel lucky--I am lucky.  
But--that thought about Draco still tortures me, even as I sit and laugh. I wish he would forgive me, and try to be happy for me. I wish he could understand. But I can't help it if he doesn't. All I can do is wait for him to make the first move.  
I know I love Harry--I know I love Draco--I just think I love Harry more than I love Draco. I'll try not to think of Draco. I can do it, I know.   
I love Harry. I know that. And Harry will always be here for me, unlike Draco. I want Harry.   
Nicole Stevens  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
THE END 


End file.
